Garnet Moon
by yumeyukidaichi95
Summary: .."Red is ironic. It all means love, warmth, blood and hatred." with their lies and secrets, can their will prevail? When liberty grants anything and allows hatred to reign, what can their friendship do in a world with abundant vengeance?
1. Chapter 01

THE GARNET MOON BEYOND THE SILVER CURTAINS

Chapter 01

Vampires are hematophagous and live by feeding on human blood. They are extremely long-lived individuals that are incomparable to humans in terms of appearance. They possess extraordinary speed, strength, and supernatural healing abilities and can heal almost instantly from any non-lethal wound. Because of this, the only way to easily kill them is to cause them to lose a sufficiently large amount of blood from one attack.  
Rinko Harume, a girl whose whole village was destroyed by a vampire, was adopted by Kevin Oliver – the president of an organization called 'the silvers' – two years ago and became a vampire slayer just like the one who saved her at the massacre, Rui Chibara.  
"What's the matter, Rinko?" questioned Rui who's currently in a car that's heading for the Carmeli University – the place that's assigned to them to investigate. He's observing her every action ever since she woke up from her slumber because of the creepy noises at the outside. She sneaked a peek from the car's window a while ago but all that she saw were those scary willows along the road, which frightened her a bit.  
"Nothing, aniki." a soft answer was her reply as she turned to face him and meet his ever stunning purple eyes, which appear as shimmering in her azure ones. His reddish-black hair carves the frame of his neck; hers is wavy, blue-tinted black. It was shoulder-length before but because of an unfortunate incident it shortened when it burnt. "Don't worry." she smiled.  
"Good." he phrased. She's eighteen and he appears twenty. "But don't forget what we are going to." his tone was friendly yet serious. Though he doesn't show it, he really cares for her and she knows that. Ever since her life was ruined, he became her brother or sometimes even her sire, even though they aren't relatives. The same goes for Akira – Rui's cousin.  
After some minutes of silence, it rained.  
She watched the tiny streams that formed on the window besides her like a child would do. The only difference is that she neither cherishes it nor relaxes with it. Even though the rain is pleasant for the others, she loathes it.  
"Aren't you afraid?" he asked,  
"Of what?" but was only answered by another question. She's pretending to be ignorant of his question's purpose.  
"Of thunders." then, a lightning flashed.  
"...I told you," she faintly smiled. "It has already subsided." but, Rui knows the difference of 'subsided' from 'gone'; nevertheless, he smiled back.  
It thundered.  
The only reaction that he was able to observe was just a wince, but still, the worry in his eyes isn't leaving yet.  
"Here." he gestured at her as he took an ipod from his coat's pocket.  
"Thanks." she took it. Although Rui knows that an embrace is better, like what Akira does, he resisted; because he knows that he's not in the place to.  
"Look." he pointed his finger to the windshield, directing to the building that's becoming more visible every second beyond their hazy path. "Be careful inside."  
"Yes." she replied coldly and her eyes narrowed. "There are vampires lurking in there." with that, Rui glared at her but he did not dare to say a word.  
The thunders have ceased already – and she gave the gadget back to him – although the rain itself did not; so when they passed the gates of the university and stopped by its front entrance, they took their umbrellas with them as they got off the car.  
"We'll just take our things personally." he talked to the driver.  
"Y-yes." and he looked away. Hesitation was in his voice but he just obeyed as they made their way to the car's compartment and took their luggage. The car left as soon as they headed to the double doors, where Vince Akishi – the university's chairman – awaits them.  
"I'm sorry if we are late," he said as they sheltered themselves under the eaves of the said building and closed their umbrellas.  
"No, you're not." Vince said. He's blackish sienna haired and sea green eyed guy in a white shirt, magenta necktie and black coat. He appears to be thirty-nine. He seemed to be glaring at Rui a moment before he blinked and shake hands with him that Rinko thought he's suspicious. "You're just in time." after that, a car followed and halted at the same place as the other did and, Akira – a hazel haired and slate gray eyed guy who's the same age as Rui – got off with Fuyumi, a brunette. She has the same eyes as Akira and age as Rinko. She's Rui's sister, Akira's – obviously – cousin and Rinko's best friend – although it may not seem like that. They also have their umbrellas, which they also closed when they got to their side but unlike what the other two did, the one who took their luggage is the driver himself.  
"Akira," Rui said. "It's better if you're the ones who took you're luggage since it's raining." he scolded them when he saw the driver being drenched but no one replied. He sighed.  
Then to the chairman, he said, "Can't we go to our rooms yet?" at that moment, the driver placed their things beside them and went off with the car afterwards.  
"Maria," the chairman called a girl who immediately paced to his side. She's a black-shoulder-length-haired girl in a white-sailor-collared-shirt. Her shirt's collars have a pair of checkered lines. She has a checkered necktie with a slanting white line –that indicates she's a first year – and the university's logo. They all match her pleated skirt, which is also checkered and her black leather shoes that goes well with her white socks.  
It's just a little awkward since in other universities, the students only are in civilian clothes. As soon as she came in Rui's front, she got a surprised expression on her face. Rui was the same but they tried to hide it.  
"Take them to their rooms."  
"Everyone," she said with a bow as Rui smiled. "Welcome. May we become good friends." and she straightened herself and paced to her right, leading them. Akira and Fuyumi were a bit confused about their reactions but pushed it aside as they started to follow her.  
"Rui," he said after a few minutes. "We must be close to Rinko's room."  
"You're still insisting that?"  
"Of course, she's often the target of...the vampires." he spoke softly for the last word as he glanced as the girl called Maria. Rui just sighed at him. It doesn't matter if he didn't lower his voice; the girl would still hear him.  
"I know. But the girls' and the boys' dorms are surely separated."  
"We can't just let her be in danger." then, although hesitating, Rui took Maria's attention.  
"Arita-san, is this building the dorm of the boys' or the girls'?" at the way he called her, Akira got more confused. Arita must be her surname but then, how would he know it? The chairman just called her by her first name.  
"The girls', is there any problem, Honou-san?" her reply was so polite since they are new comers. Rui glared at her at that as a sign that she's mistaken at what he called him as. Akira was about to correct her when she continued, "Sorry...I mean, Chibara-san?"  
"Ye-" replied Akira with a low growl but Rui cut him off.  
"Not really, but we would like to be near the dorms of our companions."  
"I don't think that's a good idea but I'll tell this to the chairman. For the meantime, I'll just let you stay at the room near the student council's. There's just a guy who occupies it."  
"That's fine." Rui replied. He's always so mature in compromising.  
"Thank you for your consideration." she smiled and they went going.

"This place seems like it's just ordinary." Fuyumi said. Rinko and her are some couple of meters away from the guys since they went up a set of stairs with their heavy luggage. "Do you think this university has really become their lair?"  
"Perhaps." she concluded. Rui-aniki and Akira-aniki argued again. She thought, a bit curious but worried at the same time.  
"There must be a way of how a vampire can enter-"  
"They can pretend like they are also humans." she stated softly but coldly, clutching her fist. Fuyumi looked at her. Even if she's vexatious for Rinko, she still cares. "They are plain beasts. It's just that the catalyst of their simple but ruinous prowess is human blood."  
"I mean, is this university's security really that low?" she continued.  
"You can't blame them." ‑ hatred is in her eyes ‑ "A person won't act differently to a vampire...unless he'll see the exact murdering act of theirs." she clenched her fist at her statement, remembering her horrible past.  
Fuyumi almost sighed at her but controlled herself since she knows they might argue again.

Rui and Akira reached their room at the second floor – and as it was said, near the student council's room. It was exhausting for the two best friends because theirs is at the third floor, exactly above the guys'. However, they did not enter the room immediately like the two guys did.  
"Sayako-san, this is Maria. Please, open up." but instead of being opened, a voice just answered back. Rinko and Fuyumi did not hear it, though. "We talked about this already." she frowned, disappointed of the turning of the events. It's embarrassing to argue in front of strangers.  
"Excuse me." In dismay, Fuyumi grabbed her shoulder. "If you would like to, we'll just occupy a different room." at that, the door opened and Sayako stood exactly beside it with a grumpy look.  
"Sorry, but there's no other room available anymore. The others are fully-occupied." she panicked a bit as she apologized. Sayako was glaring at her.  
"Then, let's just settle this tomorrow or some other day." Rinko said, in a cold and insulting manner. "We're tired of the travel. We need some rest." just when she was about to enter, Fuyumi tripped her, causing her to bump to Sayako. She felt her blood ran faster at the vein at her temple. "Fuyumi!" she exclaimed, her temper shortening as she glares at her. "Ah...sorry...Sayako-san, is it?" she apologized, half willingly, after she settled herself.  
"Y-yes..." Sayako answered as she stepped back, her right hand covers her mouth and nose as shadows from her hair – which fell on her face–cover her eyes.  
_Weird_, Rinko thought. _Although, it wasn't clear, I know, she blushed._  
"Then I guess I'll just come back for tomorrow." said Maria with a nervous laugh.  
"Yeah." Fuyumi stated. "And I'm sorry that my friend acted vulgarly." Rinko shot a glare at her at what she said. What? Fuyumi talked to her in monotone.  
You didn't have to trip me! Her reply is seen in her eyes.  
"That's nothing." Maria said and looked at Sayako. "I hope you will have a good time with them." she smiled at her and turned to Rinko and Fuyumi again. "There are just three rooms between us. Just call me if you still need anything." and she left.  
They all went inside, afterwards. Sayako stayed in a room – that Rinko assumed is the restroom – for about a quarter of minutes, probably to cool down, which is a favor for the both of them because the other girl who's still a stranger might freak out for their things – that includes a huge case with a bow, a quiver of arrows and a rod inside – are very unusual for university students. If she won't freak out, she might get alarmed and will either fight them on the spot or report to someone...if she's a vampire.  
"There," Fuyumi gave her the remaining hangers after she finished with her things. "Just fold the casual and home clothes and hang your uniforms." ‑ and she headed to the door and twisted the knob ‑ "I'll just try to investigate around the campus to gather some information." then she left.  
I dislike fixing things, really.  
She sighed, not noticing the small creak from the restroom's door when the other girl went out.  
"Want a help?" she turned around and saw her leaning beside a wall, calmly. It is almost like she's plastering a facade on her face – the girl now really contrasts to the previous one who was threatening.  
"If you want to." and she sat beside her, and then started folding the slayer's clothes. Rinko quickly hid their case underneath a bed beside the window, which she decided to take later since she noticed that the upper bed in a double deck ‑ that's a meter beside it ‑ is messy with books and paperwork.  
After that, she glanced at her. She has a long, wavy russet hair and autumnal brown eyes – a beautiful person, indeed. Her expression is so calmed yet blank.  
"Thanks." she said duplicating the facade that the other also wears as she smiled at her and sat back by Sayako's side.  
"Why?" Sayako replied replied coldly.  
"Because you're helping me."  
"This is for what I did a while ago. I delayed your rest," she cockily said.

The crescent moon smiled gently as it shines its faint light. The entire school grounds are empty and silence is only the present thing. The only sounds are the lone howls of some wolves in the forest and the rustling of the leaves of the trees that sways in the wind, which can be mistaken for the sounds of the waves lapping on the shore. The scenery is all because most students and are now fast asleep for it is already past midnight.  
Zen Ofrell, a half French and half Japanese guy with a blond hair and brass eyes stepped out of their room. He's the roommate of Rui and Akira who are laid on their beds. Zen closed the door softly afterwards and paced along the corridor. The whole building is dark. There's no light even along the halls but that's not a problem for the likes of him. _What does she want now? We discussed this in our meeting last night already. _  
He strolled faster, then.  
He knows that someone follows him. What he doesn't understand is there is no other scent present in this place. If there's really someone there, he would notice it because of its blood. But that didn't happen. He just noticed him because of his steps; which at least, he can still hear. It's like someone's restraining his most important sense.  
"Who're you?" he asked in the air calmly but no one answered. "I'll lead you, fine...but proceed on your own risk...she doesn't tolerate things she hates..." he said with a tinge of joking in his voice but it stayed still. _Is this a spell?_ A howl of a wolf cut his thoughts and at that very moment, his senses came but however, he still can feel anyone's presence. Having his problem solved up, he continued his pace, thinking he was just imagining things.  
Unknown from him, he's simply leading the stranger when he headed to outside the school and into the forest.  
At a certain place in there stood a simple cottage made from bricks. He entered it and opened a locker in a corner with a golden key. From the inside, he took a fire hook and paced towards a square metal cover on the floor at the other corner. He hooked and opened it then used the metal ladder and landed down on the floor. Its passage is narrow and dark. The only things that light it up are the torches along it that are a meter apart from each other.  
It seems to be a secret hideout.  
He walked through the murky path and turned to a few corners until he halted before a wooden door then entered.  
"I'm here." Zen said. Then it opened. There's a fire blazing in a torch above an eye-leveled pillar at its center.  
"You're late." Khana Lee Nao said coldly. She has a long amber and dark chestnut eyes. She's dressed in a white, sleeveless, frilled blouse and maroon pants.  
"Were you followed?" another girl asked, though the shadows conceal her.  
"No." he answered doubtlessly. She smirked.  
"Yes, you were."  
"...what-" he cut off his sentence after he remembered the sudden absence of his smelling sense. "Oh! Yeah!" then he scratched the back of his head. "I think I was." and Khana sighed at him.  
"It has been two centuries, ne?" the girl in the shadows said to the stranger they assumed by behind the door. "Hisashiburi. Did you come to thank me for saving your life? Or to kill me for to turning you into a vampire...like us?" then she came forward to the fire, enlightening herself. She's Sayako Akishi, the vampire lord.

* * *

_The dark clouds gathered and the rain poured. Her surrounding is – of course – wet and its scent is blood-like. Her expression is like a rat's, pleading for its life in the paws of a cruel cat. She isn't crying but her eyes are wide opened as her body trembles with fear. She sits on the ground as she stares at the guy who's the reason of why her day became a catastrophe._  
_He's a few meters away from her, but he still threatens to her at that distance. Because he just killed her parents and younger sister. However, despite that, his expression is still the same. He still has his maniacal smile plastered on his face with his eyes as red as the blood that now matches the color of his blood-soaked hand and clothes._  
_Her family's bodies are next to him, bathing on their own pool of fresh blood. Lightning flashed as he looked at her. His eyes are glowing with malice as he started pacing to her; his every step resonating in her mind like they're saying 'pathetic'._  
_The guy chuckled at her reaction._  
_"...Stop...right there. Don't come..." she begged, but she was neglected as he continued._  
_"I really adore the beatings of your heart." he smirked. She backed off in unison with the rumbling of the thunder. This time her tremblings worsened as tears fall down her cheeks from her eyes._  
_"...B-bakemono..." she took a glanced at him but noticing how horrible he is, she just horrified herself more. "Bakemono!" he started to laugh as the lightning flashed again, only to threaten her more when his eyes were emphasized with it._  
Her eyes quickly opened as she sat up, wiping the tears at the sides of her cheeks. She's breathing and sweating heavily when she noticed that the window beside her is open, letting the cool breeze in and causing the curtains to flutter. "That dream, again?" she uttered to herself. She then took a glimpse of the room – the beds in the double deck are both fixed and empty. They already left for the class? Then she looked at the wall clock. It reads as quarter past seven.  
It's unusual for her to wake up at that time. I wonder if their shower has a heater. She got up, took her towel from their closet, took a bath and dressed up in their uniform afterwards. The water was warm even though the shower doesn't have a heater like what she expected. She went out of their room then.  
Even though she knows that there's just a few minutes left for the classes to start, she still headed to the dinning hall. Random thoughts were battling in her mind when she saw a weird looking guy leaning against a wall along the hall. He's wearing a white, short-sleeved polo, black slacks and black shoes. She concluded that he's a student and a third year when she noticed the school logo and three black lines on his shirt's pocket. He seemed to be having some respiration problems because of his fast and heavy breathing. Rinko looked around but since she found no one who might help him, she sighed in defeat and came to his help.  
"...n-nii-san, daijobu desu ka?" she hesitatingly asked. He is thin and seemed so weak. "Nii-san?"  
"...d-daijobu desu..." he replied. "W-what do you want?"  
"Err...Can you take me to the dinning hall? I think I'm lost." she explained but he seemed to be not paying attention so she repeated, "'Can you take me to the dinning hall', I said." she glared at him, putting her guard on.  
"...g-get away...qui-" he didn't manage to continue when he looked away to his side and slowly slid down the floor, his body slightly trembling and his hand covering his mouth to nose – the exact position Sayako did when they first met. The only difference is that he's closing his eyes and panting in an uneven rhythm . She posed in a fighting stance and was about to bash him when he suddenly grabbed her hand – opposing his own warning.  
"What the-!" she exclaimed, trying to back off but he looked at her before she finished and she gasped at what she saw. H-his eyes are red! Her suspicion unfortunately came true. "vampire." she muttered under her breath, full of disgust.  
Knowing she's weaponless and has low chance of winning against him, she struggled and got freed. "Tsk! Shimatta!" She dashed away from him, planning to go back to their room and use her bow but he sneaked in her front, blocking her way.  
Left without other choices she intended to incapacitate him – she leaped up and kicked his face, jabbed her elbow at his gut and swished her leg across his causing him to stumble and give her time to escape. But he recovered easily and grasped her ankle, halting her.  
She froze, remembering her most recent dream.  
He stood up and pinned her against a wall, his grip so tight that she felt as if her hand would break.  
"...D-don't...ha..nase...!" she uttered, her eyes wide-opened with her body shuddering from his breath when he held her chin and tilted her head to her right. "...k-kuso...!" she cursed, trying to fight her fear as she struggles from his grip and kicks him when he attempted to bite – until gunfire was heard.  
She exhaled in relief when his grip loosened and quickly kicked him away before slumping down, still trembling as she huffs. In just a moment, he turned to ashes before her.  
"Rinko!" she flinched as she heard Akira called her out and took her in an embrace, which she welcomed when she grasped his shirt fearfully. "Rui! I've found her!" as he called to his side and from another corridor, Rui came and strolled to them. He already knew what happened at the moment that he glanced at the remains and clothes of the vampire that they were just chasing.  
"...I told you, Akira!" he scolded him. "That vampire might encounter her!" Akira continued to stare at Rinko who is still in the same position she was in. She hasn't spoken even a single word yet after what just happened.  
"Where's your bow?" Akira asked.  
"Isn't it obvious she did not bring it!" Rui glared at him.  
"Why would she not bring it, then!" Akira returned his glare as low growls were heard from the both of them.  
"...Stop that, please." she uttered, regaining herself while standing up wobbly. "It'll be suspicious to bring a bow in the class especially...sorry...and thank you for saving me." she braced herself as she felt shivers ran down her spine.  
"...I don't really mind what I did." Akira said, his face a little tainted with pink. "Every would slayer would d-"  
"Enough talk." Rui interfered. Akira was about to stand and smack him when Rinko ceased his action with a faint smile. "Take her to the dinning hall now. You haven't eaten anything yet, have you?" he asked as he averted his gaze from him and glanced at Rinko.  
"It's all right...I'll just eat more at our break..." she gave him the same reassuring smile he gave to the other. Rui knows once she had decided, she's hard to convince. He almost sighed as he worries more for her.  
"Just be sure you'll keep your words. Akira, bring her to their classroom now. Classes are soon to start. Tell Fuyumi to monitor her." He didn't reply but just obeyed and took her with him.  
When they were gone from his sight, he bit his lower lip resulting for blood to trickle down his chin as he stared at the ashes of the late vampire. I know that you tried to resist...but for your current situation, there's no other way to save you aside from granting your death. He thought with his hand clenching in anger and as well as pity. Beneath his contact lenses, he knows his eyes are reddening.

They were a few meters away from class I-b when the bell rang, signaling the start of the classes. Darn...so the three of us are already late. He hissed. It took them some minutes for getting there since the building where the classrooms are is a bit far from the dorms. We probably won't be able to chase that bastard and save Rinko if we're in the boys' dorm as it's farther to them than this building is. He then slid the door and the teacher inside stopped from writing her lecture and approached him.  
"Is there anything I can do for you?" she inquired.  
"I'll just excuse her." she gasped when he showed the certain girl to her.  
"Isn't she Harume Rinko-san?"  
"Yes."  
"We were just looking for her a while ago." then she looked around, trying to find her an empty seat but before she could decide, Fuyumi who is at the back row stood up and propelled to them. "C-chibara-san! Be on your-"  
"Gomen, Shira-sensei but I need to talk with them now." seeing the seriousness in her voice, she led them out the classroom so they can speak in private. "What the hell happened that you took so long!"  
"She was attacked." Akira answered in her place.  
"W-Why didn't you bring your bow?" she asked and frowned when the other girl looked away. But Fuyumi held her face for them to look at each other, although she gasped.  
"You have your staff?" he asked, worrying if she didn't.  
"Yes. It's good that their skirt is two inches below the knees. It's held with the strap that's wrapped around my thigh."  
"Rui ordered to monitor her and make sure she'll get to eat more meals at your break." and he walked past her, making his leave.  
"Tell me what happened."  
"...Fu-chan...The class is till going." the brunette's eyes widened upon hearing her old nickname. That was the name she used to address her with when they first met and before they both became slayers.  
"I know, but-" Rinko put her self together and freed her face from Fuyumi's hands and her eyes from their contact. They both went back inside the classroom and after explaining to the teacher that there were just minor problems, she hurried back to her seat as Rinko, on the other hand, was ordered to sit beside the brunette and in front of a guy named Shan, fortunately. But since Sayako is at the rear of Fuyumi, the luck for them contrasted for her.  
Just why are those slayers both in front of me? She thought as she suppresses a growl, closing her eyes.

The autumn leaves fall from the trees when the wind breezed in unison with the bell ringing for the dismissal. Some teachers were going to the faculty for rest as the others went to their meetings. The students were also leaving their classrooms and heading to their clubs. The activity time was already explained to the best friends after their dismissal. They were told that their tour around the clubs for them to choose one would be tomorrow.  
It's a normal day if they would not mind the attack and because Rui ordered Fuyumi to monitor her and make sure she'll eat more, the two girls weren't able to investigate anything. As for the guys, Rui did nothing but to read a book when Akira patrolled on the school grounds.  
Currently they're in class I-b, sitting on the chairs and formed as a circle. Fuyumi looked at Rinko then to the guys – their explanation is now.  
"When I was looking for the dinning hall," Rinko started with a deep breath. "I saw a guy who looked ill. Since there was no one who might help him, I came to his side as his help but he attacked instead."  
"That guy was the one Rui and I were chasing." Akira stated. "He went to the second floor and as we expected, he met her and she was attacked though I killed him before she was bitten."  
"...shit." Fuyumi cursed in silence. "I should have been there and didn't go without you." Rinko squeezed her hand and whispered a reply which seemed like an apology.  
"It's not your fault." Rui told her. "It's not anyone's fault, but Rinko starting on Wednesday you'll join the archery club. I already requested a bow that looked like yumi used in Kyuudo. You must bring it everywhere. I'll also bring my sword, as I'll join the Kendo club. Clear?"  
"Yes." They all agreed.  
After some planning on how they will carry their current mission, Fuyumi and Rinko stood up afterwards but the other two didn't. They stayed in their chairs and only looked to be brooding. Rinko crossed her arms as she waits for them to speak. Akira isn't that calculating. He only looked like that to cover Rui's unusual behavior.  
"Onii-sama, what's wrong?" Fuyumi asked as she locked gazes with Rui. The two seemed to not want to leave yet. That's not the usual them.  
"Nothing. You go ahead." Rui commanded to the brunette. "Rinko, stay here."  
"Rui-aniki?" she asked as she ponders on what could be the reason of why he still wants her to stay. While hesitating, Fuyumi paced to the door without other words. Rinko exhaled in harmony with the wind that swooshed the leaves down.  
"What is it?" she haughtily asked as she scowls. I want to take a nap already.  
"Talk to Akishi Sayako-san." he said. "She's the student council president. I talked to her last night. Akira will take you to her. She's at the music room right now." and the said guy stood up and was about to lead her but she shrugged his hand off.  
"The president is a first year?" she chuckled with a raised brow. "Are you kidding me, aniki?"  
"Her year doesn't matter. She'll help you a lot."  
"She won't understand." she opposed, still in an unbelieving tone. "She's a simple human. My problems are about vampires. She probably won't believe me."  
"...She'll believe you. Don't you trust me?" he smiled at his own question.  
"I...I trust you. Fine." she said with a snort. Aniki is planning something again. But why is it concerned with that Sayako? "Iku yo, Akira-aniki." she smiled at him and tugged at his arm and left the other slayer.  
The music room is located at third floor so they headed to it with Akira leading her and looking around them every now and then, not letting their guard down and aware of every noise in their surrounding in case there would be another vampire that would attack again. When they arrived at their destination, a melody played as she turned the silver colored knob of its door.  
Although a bit amused by it, she calmly entered and closed the door behind her after Akira said that he'd just wait. Inside, she saw Sayako playing the grand piano beside the windows draped with silk blue curtains. Aside from the piano, the room also has some tables, chairs and couches. The room appeared to her like a cafe especially with the designs that are carved on the slightly pinkish walls and the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. If not for the violins, harps, drums, flutes and other musical instruments that are properly kept on a couch at a corner, she won't believe it's a music room.  
"Irasshaimase." Sayako said tranquilly when she stopped from playing and glanced at her. Rinko walked to the windows, ignoring the couch by Sayako's side and sat on the sill with her right leg contracted and the other stretched. "This room is the room that the music club uses but since they're out for a competition with the other universities. I chose this place to talk to you. It's relaxing here. Your problems?"  
"I was just told by Rui-aniki to talk to you." she bluntly said. "I was attacked by a vampire." Sayako didn't react and just listened more eagerly unlike what she had expected her to do. "I'm not sacred of them but it's just that...the timing itself was bad. I just dreamed about my past this morning." her voice was flat and nonchalant.  
"Tell me that past," she ordered her eyes narrowing with a frown on her face.  
"I won't take orders from you." she glared at her. "Besides, I don't even know you that much and you seemed like you're not believing with that frown of yours." she pointed a finger at her. Clenching her hand, Sayako tried to soften her expression.  
"Your so-called problem might be related to your past," her hand trembled a bit with low anger. "So...if you'll not tell it to me then I can't do anything for you."  
_Do anything for me? Fuzaken ja ne yo..._Rinko thought smirking that Sayako almost wanted to stand up and leave her but pushed the thought aside. _Well...let's see if you can really do a thing... _"My whole village was destroyed by a vampire." she coldly said. Still, the other has no reaction. "It started on the third day of spring. It was a clear day...the sky was perfect blue. We were in our small village and was preparing for the festival at the night when someone knocked on our door.  
"It was a villager who was attacked and bitten by a vampire. He died right after explaining everything to us. We didn't believe him at first but otoo-san decided to warn the villagers and we packed our things up to evacuate after seeing the swollen bite marks on his corpse's neck.  
"We were about to do what we planned when loud grumbles startled us. When we went out our cottage, we knew it was caused by an attack by that certain monster." she paused to look at her reflection to the glass windows beside her.  
_Aren't you, humans, the monsters yourselves?_ Sayako thought as she glared at her.  
"Realizing no one was still alive, we tried to escape and get help but as we did, he just followed. My family was...murdered in my front...but what really can't accept was..." she bit her lip. "he was my childhood friend." Rinko clenched her hand, gritted her teeth and growled. She has been holding back herself from bashing the window at her side and breaking it just to end up in the chairman's office and get suspended. Sayako was fully aware of her anger but was still taken aback by her last statement. "If Rui-aniki hadn't come, I surely died as well...you know."  
"What do you think was the reason of why that vampire did that?" Sayako sharply asked.  
"Simple question." she smirked. "As I said, he was a monster. We were his food."  
"How can you be so sure?" the vampire lord stood up and neared her. "Have it ever crossed your mind that he might have no other choice? That his thirst was killing him and he wasn't aware of what he was doing?"  
"Simple-minded student council president," in the most expressive way she can show, she glared at her. "Don't you detest anything?"  
"What do you mean, judgmental and inconsiderate dunce?"  
"I detest everyone," she said and her smirk widened when Sayako's grip loosened. "I can't trust anybody because of the fact that they are beasts in human form... I don't know who are the enemies and who are not! My real problem..." she paused again as she tried to critically examine the other girl's expression but although it softened, the anger is still in her eyes. "...Is their very existence..." she did not exclaim as she looked at her, staring deeply in her enraged, autumnal, eyes but her flat, cold, hateful voice gave a dark feeling to what she said. "Tell me, what the hell can you do about that, eh? I don't care if he ran wild because he couldn't help it. That doesn't change the fact that he is a threat. And every threat...must be terminated." all of a sudden, she sarcastically played a childish cheerful smile.  
"omae wa...!" Sayako glared again, returning her gaze. She tried very hard to control her rising temper. "What do you know about them!"  
"Everything!" she said, all coldness gone and was replaced with a stubborn and angered one as she raised her voice the way the other did. "They are monsters who take blood for power!"  
"But still-!" she hushed up when Rinko stood and paced, sat beside her and closed the distance between them, making an eye contact. Their gazes were unwavering.  
"...Ne, you are a human, aren't you?" she whispered, her tone lower with a hint of malice. "The fact that you're saying that makes you like not...are you... one of them...?" she taunted. The vampire lord gritted her teeth for control when she saw the other's face after she pulled back. Her childish smile contrasted with her tone – almost as if she was between angelic and demonic.  
There was a long moment of silence before Rinko laughed with a wind chime-like voice. Then, her serious, blank expression was there again after she quieted. "I won't stop until I've exterminated them all." and she headed to the door. "I simply can't continue living knowing there are monsters that someday may simply devour our world and hunt us for food. That's the reason I live...and for that, I can kill even you if you're like them…" with a chuckle, she added, "I told you my past to make you swallow your words, not because I trusted you...sayonara, Sayako-kaichou, hmmp." then she left, the smirk was still on her lips even when she slammed the door.  
The vampire lord was snarling until every trace of her presence was gone. When she completely departed, she didn't bother herself to hold back. And her eyes became crimson red.

[four leaved clover ~ cross roads]


	2. Chapter 02

Chapter 02

It's almost midnight and like always, at this time, most of the people are fast asleep and the surroundings are quiet with only the rustling of the trees in the night. After getting pissed off, Rinko headed to their room with Akira by her side. The best friends are now asleep; and so Akira is with Zen in their room. But Rui doesn't seem to be getting it at all, knowing that she's in the room beside theirs. Since Zen might awake, he's trying to sneak out their room. Sayako, as he thought, is in the student council room, in its balcony, gazing upon the crescent moon in the dark, star-lit night sky.  
The room is dark as she didn't feel like turning the lights on but it's still recognizable that it seemed to be an office with three working tables with a pile of files and paperwork on it and chairs. Beside the door is a couch and in front of it is a messy center table, which is probably used in their tea break.  
It then gusted causing her russet hair to be blown in the wind. _"That's the reason I live..." Baka! Living for something like that...she didn't just lose her family...also herse- _the door opened in a soft squeak but she was still alerted by it. A very familiar scent greeted her senses as the guy leaned against the door when he closed it behind him as soft as possible.  
"Last night, I told you to talk to her," he said. "What happened? Akira told me she was angered. How did it go?" she knows whose the voice is. She then remembered their meeting last night.  
_"It has two centuries, ne?" the girl in the shadows said. "Hisashiburi. Did you come to thank me from saving your life? Or to kill me for turning you to a vampire...like us?" _then she came forward to the fire, enlightening herself. She's Sayako Akishi, the vampire lord.  
_"Neither of the two, Akishi-dono." he replied as he entered the chamber and revealed himself to them; Zen's eyes widened in surprise. He can't believe that this slayer is also a vampire himself if ever what their lord's saying is the truth about him _– _and he is, as he can tell from his scent.  
"Khana, Zen, leave us at once." she ordered them. Khana stridently gazed at her but averted her eyes and left with a frown and glare towards the slayer. But unlike her, the guy refused to leave. The gaze that the other gave her but immediately was taken away is in him.  
"Are you insane?" he asked, glaring at her with red eyes. "That guy's a slayer!"  
"You know very well what I can do if he'll try to kill me." she said and shot a glare at him in the same way he did with the very same color of his eyes. He still didn't want to leave but with a groan from her, he hesitatingly did and similarly as Khana, he glared at him and voiced a threat that the slayer simply shrugged off.  
Sayako's eyes turned back to normal after that.  
"I told them I want a meeting tonight for I know you'll follow Zen if you've noticed and he'll lead you here. And I'm right."  
"Still like before, eh? That ability of yours..." he chuckled.  
"Although your mind is strong enough to not be read by me," she smirked, placing her hand over her face, her fingers apart from each other. "I can predict your movements pretty accurately."  
"That's with Arita-dono's help, isn't it?" Sayako got serious again.  
"Yeah. She's the one who you guys first met. Was it nostalgic?"  
"It was as nostalgic as I'm staring at you now." Sayako glared at him.  
"Our past is past."  
"Our family bonds can't be cut off. We're still cousins." he smiled to her although her glare did not fade away.  
"You've met my uncle, right?" she calmly asked.  
"He didn't recognize me; we've never met before, but I still disguised my scent as a human's." he honestly said. "It would be a problem if he found out."  
"Is that because you have those three by your side? _Hmmp_...that's _so tricky, Rui._"  
"Fuyumi and Akira aren't my problem but Rinko instead." he crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. "Those two know what I am and they have no objection about that."  
"Do all of the slayers know?" she asked.  
"No; only those two. That's why...I want you to talk to her." he said, a bit becoming serious. The lord glowered at him.  
"Rui...I'm not as nice as you think I am."  
"I know..." he smirked. "Unfortunately, I know more things about you than I should have. You're so cold and hide the things you think are unnecessary."  
"What do you mean?" she frowned.  
"You know what I mean." he sighed. "You hide the fact that you care about humans."  
"I don't care about them. I hate them." she opposed. "They are nothing but a bunch of dirt and trash; such useless idiotic beings. That's what they are."  
"Your father did not hate them," he said.  
"The very reason of why he died in the hands of a slayer." she gritted her teeth.  
"Then, how about your mother, my auntie? She was a former human." he paused. "Although you don't have a single ounce of human blood, you can't change the fact that she _was_ still a human." Sayako hissed at him when she noticed the emphasis on the past tense.  
"Don't put okaa-sama in the same level as others."  
" How about me? You saved me, right?"  
"You almost died from a slayer when you tried to explain to them and defended me." she reasoned out, "I just don't want you to die for my sake. That's ridiculous."  
"But when-"  
"Stop it!" she exclaimed. "Stop narrating my life already! You don't know me means you don't!" she glared at the wall behind him. He was a bit surprised when a keen wind_ –_ that put the fire off, causing the chamber to darken_ – _passed him and hit the wall. It left a huge hole to it and a scratch on his cheek, which immediately healed. But that failed to threaten him and make him stop. Despite the darkness, they still managed to keep their eye contact as Rui can see the two glowing blood-red orbs before him.  
"Yare, yare." he spoke. "Look at what you did." he then summoned a blazing fire to his hand and from it the chamber was enlightened again. Sayako blinked in awe at seeing it. He's getting burnt by the fire but is constantly healing.  
"Does that hurt?" she asked looking worried but her expression did neither change nor her eyes.  
"Not really. Worried?" he smiled at her.  
"Hell no." she denied.  
"You didn't annihilate the humans when you became the vampire lord." he continued when Sayako's eyes went normal as she relaxed.  
"When you were almost killed I realized that those slayers would take even the innocents. I just didn't want to be like them. But that doesn't mean that I won't kill any of _them_ so don't waste your time on those trivial thoughts."  
"Talk to Rinko, she's your roommate."  
"Do you really believe I will obey you?"  
"The slayers are judgmental. If you really don't want to be like them, talk to her and listen...she has a horrible past. And one more thing, I never hated you if that's what you thought." with that, surprise overtaken her expression as he left her alone with bewilderment.  
_"Annoyingly." she answered breaking from the past events.  
"Why?" worry is in his tone.  
"She told me her past." she shut her eyes, trying not to remember her words and get pissed off.  
"That's seldom of her." he said. "She trusts you, Akishi-dono."  
"She doesn't. She unhesitatingly told me she did that because she wanted me to swallow my words."  
"Your words?"  
"I told her if she won't tell me her past I couldn't do anything to help her."  
"...hmmm...so you'd really help her?" he chuckled. She faced him, glaring with the angered color of her eyes.  
"I told her that as the student council president and not as _myself._"  
"Yep...you're really not with yourself...you're not my Yako-oneechan right now." he paced nearer to her until they are a foot apart. "Will you please break your facade and come back?"  
"You know what you and that girl have in common?" her glare sharpened as she smirked. "You're both annoying."  
"Annoying, eh?" he faintly smiled.  
"But I dislike her more. She's worse...no, she's the worst." Rui laughed. "Don't laugh, it's true. She's even more annoying from that Zen who's always meddling with my decisions and plans."  
"Him? Our roommate and classmate...who's your little spy?" he laughed again. Her eyes returned to normal.  
"I just used him to bring you to me." she explained then smirked wider causing Rui to crook a brow. "But since you gave me the idea, I'll benefit myself from it. Who knows what that Akira is planning at your back?"  
"He isn't like that." he defended him a bit smiling at what she said yet a little nervous. "Returning to our topic about Rinko, you must have noticed her worst part."  
"What worst part?"  
"She mistrusts every person around her. Except from the slayers." upon hearing that, she remember the said girl's words and cringed, _"I can't trust anybody...!" _"And she possesses a terribly bad perception of vampires."  
"She told me that too. And as for her perception...that's typical for the slayers...aside from you." she stated.  
"You two...are the same." he said making her eyes become red again. He narrowed his gaze from her reaction. "You're even worse."  
"I don't get you."  
"Because you didn't eliminate the humankind like what most vampires desire, you don't trust your allies – the elders, whose minds you can't read." she was surprised but tried to hide it as she reflected to his words. _That's right…I've always thought that they're just tamed because I'm their master. "_Just as you do with the humans around you since you think of them as your sworn enemies which are obviously the slayers."  
"You...are really annoying..." she looked back at him.  
"Careful, you might destroy something again." he smiled.  
" Che...as if I care..." she then walked pass him and headed to the door and twisted the knob. "Don't try bringing up your plans; like I've said last night, our past is past. I can't be your kind onee-chan anymore. There is so much for me to protect. I can't afford to let my guard down." _not again..._ she opened it. "I'll sleep now. You better do that too."  
"Wait..." he halted her. "Regarding about the one who attacked her-"  
"We've covered it up. Perhaps he was thinking he's old enough and stood under the sunlight to test it but went insane because he's still not. The others who are close to him were angered but they understand; there's no other way to save the doomed ones..." she left as he bowed down with a pained expression. _I've always believed that they are the idiot monsters...but then, that girl..._

_

* * *

_

_"_Rinko, okiru! RINKO!" Fuyumi slapped her and she immediately woke up, glaring at her, totally not on the mood. She sat up, her hair still messed.  
"What...the hell do you want, miss witch!?" she shouted at her. Fuyumi smacked her head and a lump appeared. "ITAI!"  
"It's not what I want; we'll go to the hall together so get ready! BAKA!" she explained, gritting her teeth. "The bow will arrive tomorrow so I'll be your guard for a while."  
"I understand." she said and got up. "But there's no need for hurting me!"  
"You won't wake up, got a problem with that!?"  
"Majo-sa~n..." she hissed.  
"Inoshishi..." she glared, forming static between them. _You never changed! I won't let this time pa- _The door suddenly clicked open, getting their attention.  
"You two," said Sayako who's already dressed up as she went inside and leaned on the wall. "Cut that off and hurry up or one of you will be late, yet again." but instead of cooling Rinko down, she just fired up more and glared at her. And, as Fuyumi expected, Sayako glared back. "Nanda?"  
"It's nothing...I just kinda felt like you're being a bossy old hag." she bluntly said. Sayako glared at her more when her last two words struck her.  
_Old hag, you say!? _Growled Sayako with her eyes almost turning red, and so, she just went outside. "I don't care, aho. Just try to be faster, slowpoke."  
"So bossy...obaa-san..." she heard her say as the slayer went inside the bathroom.  
_urusai...aho or I'll kill you...! _She clenched her fist as electric currents run through her body.(A/N: I can't imagine how high their voltage can be...sa-chan sure is a scary lord...;=__=''''' but in reality she doesn't like violence...^o^ v...very well...i feel like fooling around now...i just can't imagine us as serious people...hehe.)  
_Geez...a witch and an old hag as my roommates is really fun. Teasing them could be the best pastime there is although they can really be scary..._she smirked at her thought as she undressed herself and soaked her body under the shower. Using the bath gel she placed there last night, she took long and was smacked by Fuyumi again when she finished and got out. They were arguing as she dresses up and that annoyed Sayako who interfered with them, cutting them off – but having an argument of Rinko's and hers instead. They were just stopped when Rui came in and shut them up.  
Rui was the one who was leading them to the dinning hall. Fuyumi putted him between the two. They quieted down but are still having harmless arguments as they glare at each other with angry criticisms. During the meal, Jole Horin, a black haired and eyed girl who's their classmate, was chatting with them that was in Fuyumi's favor for they're now cooled down since neither Rui nor Akira is a help because of the swarm of girls, also knows as harpy ladies to her, surrounds them. _Sheesh...it's probably because this is the girls' dorm, no? _She thought.  
Rinko didn't bother Sayako; the food first, arguments later. Sayako's mind is wandering in Rui's, trying to break through his strength and read his unreadable mind but failed and like always he would simply look at her and smile as she glares at him. Nevertheless, no matter how many times she has failed, she would still strive and do the same thing again.  
"Rui," Akira whispered to him. "Does that girl like you?" he asked, referring to Sayako who twitched when she heard him and looked away, pretending to be sipping her tea.  
"Don't ask me that." he glanced at her. "See? She heard you."  
"She's a...?" his eyes widened, but before they knew, the girl they're taking about is right behind them, oozing with bad aura and glare. Akira almost backed away when he noticed but Rui just stayed calm and ignored her while talking to the girls around them. "R-Rui! TEME! Look at your back!" but the guy stayed still.  
"Rui..." she called. "...You'll be a book soon..." she threatened but he only turned to smile at her.  
"Try harder, 'kay?" with that, she stomped out of the hall to go to the class building. Without blinking, he glanced at Akira and said, "What were you talking about again?"  
"Never mind." he rolled his eyes as he went back to his meal. _What does that vampire girl mean? _He thought.  
After stuffing herself with a mountain of food, Rinko headed to the class building as Sayako did with Fuyumi and other students since the breakfast time's finished and the slayers parted in a corner in a building inside after talking about their investigation and the arrival of Rinko's bow after the dismissal.  
She's having troubles in their mission. The class building is divided into twenty courses each year. The b in I-b means it's a course so there are others more. In their room, they're forty-plus but not exceeding fifty. She just doesn't know their exact number but since they are that many, the noise is irritating. The only thing she knows is that they're into law, which she and Fuyumi also took two years before they became slayers. They took it by the organization's order for them to have better judgment in their missions and it was a hell for her.  
She wasn't listening yesterday so she doesn't know they are to make a thesis on law and some essays as projects. She almost lost it in those years; she didn't know if she'll be happy about it or not as it was her former dream in elementary – but was changed to becoming a mangaka in middle high – and that it was difficult. She's now limp on her desk with Fuyumi lecturing her gloomy mood. Sayako on the other hand, has no interest in the both of them as she reads a book; more specifically, a law and psychology book.  
"INOSHISHI!" she exclaimed. "Stop eating!" she snatched the onigiri from her hand. Shira stared at them as the others did.  
"Oi, majo-san, give it back!" she stood up trying to reach it but majo-san – I mean, Fuyumi threw it to the window beside her and sat down.  
"Baka yaro...! Why did-!"  
"Harume-san!" Shira called her giving Rinko goose bumps as she shuddered. "Because of this ruckus, you need to submit four essays."  
"Shira-sensei!" she opposed, others tried to mute their laughter considering their sensei's will-be-punishment for them. "That's-!"  
"Six." she increased it, ignoring her completely, much to her dismay.  
"That's unfair!" Rinko said almost wobbly.  
"Eight." Shira smirked.  
"Fine, I'll take the four." the slayer sighed and sat down.  
There was a silence as the laughter stopped. Shira glared at her and took a deep breath.  
"Ten." hearing that, Rinko suddenly stood up with a disappointed reaction, her mouth opened but nothing's coming out from the speechless girl. She almost fainted when Fuyumi laughed.  
"Don't laugh, Fu-chan!" she sat back on her chair, her gloomy mood turned gloomier.  
"Welcome to hell." Sayako told her, smirking with her fingers across her face.  
"Urusai, obaa-san." she threw a scathing look at Sayako-  
and so their other classmates and Shira to the slayer.  
It breezed with silence.  
She shuddered as she felt their bad aura suddenly. "S-Shira-sensei...?"  
"YOU'LL BE AKISHI-SAN'S SLAVE FOR YOUR ENTIRE TIME IN HERE!" Shira exclaimed and returned to writing her lecture on the board; the others returned to their essays. Fuyumi just giggled. The slayer was about to object again but hesitated as Shira might just increase her essays again...and as Sayako said, she's in hell as she sits there, mouth hanging in the air, the word 'slave' echoing in her mind. _That's what you get for insulting our master. Sayako-sama, all is up to you now... _A diabolical laugh rose up from them, depressing the damned slayer more.

When the bell sounded for the last time that day, the hell dismissed and since all Shira said was just 'in here', which means just in the class, she was able to get free from the clutches of the hag who's irritated of her and be with Fuyumi in the library.  
"This newspaper was last year." Rinko said reading the date the said paper was issued. The picture on it disgusted her and at the same time, made her remember her past as it's about a murder involving vampires.  
"Yeah, I know but," Fuyumi grabbed it and pointed a finger on the text. "This university is involved. This incident happen in their school grounds and those guys are their students."  
"Wha-!" she snatched it back and read. _Death of students from the prestigious Carmeli University, according to the investigation, were bitten by a vampire based on the evidences found on their_ necks – _bite marks. _"This might happen again until we've caught the culprit." she asserted, clutching it.  
"Yes. That's why we'll hurry with this investigation." the brunette said. "Plus, base on the students' rumors here, some people were recently missing."  
"We can't base on some rumors without evidence."  
"I know but this have gotten to the police too." she stated then neared the shelves and took some books out. "This must be a puzzle, don't you think?" Rinko just smirked at her but said nothing. She placed the books on the table before them. "These are the only yearbooks I've found."  
"Yearbooks?" she raised a brow. Fuyumi grouped them in three and arranged them individually.  
"From left to right: this set is in year 1945-1946, 1946-1947 and 1947-1948. Next, 1951-1952, 1952-1953 and 1953-1954. And 1957-1958-"  
"There are three year books in between those sets." Rinko opened a book and examined it.  
"They are missing." she straightforwardly said.  
"What do you mean by missing?" she reluctantly put it back down.  
"This shelf here is the Y.B. shelf. Others are full with normal ones and there, no one is missing."  
"They hid those on purpose." she concluded, folding her arms across her chest and tapped her right foot.  
"Must be." she putted them back in the shelf and looked at her. "Suspicious, right?"  
"Yeah. Come to think of it, the one who attacked me yesterday was a student."  
"Student?" she neared her.  
"Yeah, a third year. The reason of why those books are missing is because they are hidden-"  
"Because some students here are the vampires themselves-"  
"And the fact that they're hiding them, the staffs must probably know they're vampires...and are protecting them 'cause they're one of them too?"  
"Uh-huh...or...they were ordered?"  
"Either of those two." she turned around and paced forward, leaving already. Fuyumi followed her. "Rui-aniki's waiting."  
"Rinko..." she patted her shoulder and hesitatingly whispered as they walked across some students that are silently reading. "Or...both?" the raven looked at her.  
"Positively." they both nodded after a moment. "Let's go, we can't let Rui-aniki wait for us for long." Fuyumi glimpsed at the wall clock by the table of the librarian.  
"It's almost twenty-hundred, dinner's soon." and they exited the library._  
_

_"Get to the hall first, Akira." said Rui as he walked in the room of the girl. "I'll go later."_  
The taps of his feet echoed through the corridor since the ceiling's high. The curtains are drawn close. They know why. There are only few ones that are not and those were in the places where you would least expect there would be anyone else around such as the biology room and music room. The words of the ex-human still throb inside his mind. He can't seem to get over it.  
He gritted his teeth and clutched his fist. He hates the said guy even before for his damn manipulative-ness and independency which irritates him. Rui sure is capable of himself and responsible enough to not get others worried with him but the fact that Rui's always planning something behind the shadows gets into his nerves. They would always know it right after it's done. That's probably the same reason of why the girl, who stares at him a lot, Sayako hates him. Rui said that she's a mind reader. He had told him that he was a former human – which of course, at first, he didn't believe – and was turned to a vampire by his cousin. And now, he just told him-_"...that_ _girl is she, my cousin..." _but he still can't believe it. He doubted that he'd ever see her again. But now...to think he had succeeded.  
...He's a rotten manipulator, really.  
And that pisses him off.

Silence prevails in her room as the wind gusted in causing the free curtains to flutter. The beds are arranged properly and the ex-human is before her, his contact lenses off and his eyes are already red as hers are. Their heartbeats and their breathings are the only audible sounds to their ears. Nostalgia fills the air as they look into each other. She has already predicted this meeting; no other people around like last time when they first met by the doors when the chairman called her. It's like time passed so nimbly that they're facing each other again although it was really long.  
Unlike before, the scent of his blood has change into something sweeter... but tainted. As for her, it became stronger yet lonelier; if not for his cousin, she already has given up her life into the world which is full with beings who both distrust her. But then, that lady has accepted her existence and kept her by her side; if for her power or their friendship, she knows not. But that doesn't matter now. As long as there's someone who recognizes her as what the damphyr that she is, she's satisfied. As long as she can be of a use to that tough like but kind lady, it's alright; she's far from the brink of hopelessness as far as she knows.  
"Arita-san," their eyes normalized now as he broke the awkward silence. "It has been long."  
"Please, don't call me like that." her face heated up. "Even before, you've been so polite, though, there's really no need."  
"You're older than I am."  
"I'm a damphyr. You're a full fledge vampire now. I've been distancing myself to you even when you were just a human."  
"I don't mind our races or ranks. You are yourself. Akishi-dono also feels that way."  
"Akishi-dono? Not Yako-oneechan anymore?"  
"She doesn't want me to call her that name." Maria chuckled.  
"To think that everything has change now," she neared him and touched his face. He closed his eyes as he overlapped his hand with hers. "The both of you were such a joyful pair. You, as your loyal child self and she, as her kind and caring one."  
"Nothing has changed." he opposed, slowly opening his eyes. "I'm still loyal and she's still kind."  
"Loyal? Even with all your lies?" she frowned.  
"I lied to them but not to her nor to you neither." she let him go and sat on her bed.  
"You even use contact lenses." she sighed. "You know very well that those fake ones can never be like your deep amethyst eyes. She noticed that too, no?"  
"Probably, but she did not mention."  
"Back to the topic, you and that kid will be transfered to the boys' dorm. The chairman disagreed with your idea."  
"That's expected, he doesn't trust me." he sighed. "That Zen will be with us, right?"  
"Yes. Sayako-sama did not intend to but she said someone gave her that idea; that must be you." Rui laughed.  
"Yeah, unfortunately I gave her that idea. I misjudged the reason of why he is with us."  
"Be careful with him." she warned. "Even Sayako-sama has no trust for that guy." he nodded.  
"I understand."  
"You'll be transfered later, so after the meal, you'll prepare your things." she stood up and paced to the door but he held her hand.  
"Earlier, at our break, Fuyumi reported to me. She said there was some kind of murder case near this school's grounds and that some people have been missing recently. I'm worried about Akishi-dono. Have you predicted what's happening?"  
"Sorry, but no. It seems that the culprit is using some ancient spell against my ability. This have been our problem as well." they both frowned.  
"We'll continue to investigate this. The elders have been suspicious lately." and they both went out the room and later met Rinko And Fuyumi. He gave the case that he was holding; Inside is her bow. Maria was nervous but she did not mind the slayer's weapon. She knows Rui can handle the girl thoroughly.

* * *

_After the two got to the dorm, they met Maria and Rui. And Rinko took her bow. After saying what they talked about and clearing the things about their own room, they headed to the dinning hall with everyone and crowded it. The girl who were previously swarming around them were heartbroken after hearing that that's the last time they would be together. Rinko was pissed off of them. She was gritting her teeth and clutching her first. Her annoyed mood doubled after Sayako sat beside her. Fuyumi, who's by her left side sighed. At first, she was fine with the guys not being allowed to stay at their dorms since the other girl already has her bow so she did not object but realizing their fires aren't cooled down yet, she became anxious. Fuyumi's already getting some hints that Sayako's not a human but even though, Rinko still hasn't realized it, she hates the vampire lord by instinct. It's good that Jole sat between the two. They objected first since they're having their usual fight again but this girl really doesn't fear them and so, she won the seat. Rina Kuriko, also their classmate, is beside Fuyumi. She has a black and her eyes are liquid topaz. Fuyumi's unusual ability took those as the hints. Across the table and in their front is Maria Arita, beside her is Zen. Rinko tried hard not to eat a lot since the hag might give her more orders tomorrow since she's been declared as her 'slave' by their teacher, Shira-sensei. Although she thinks that it's really stupid to do that since it's not what they're here for she can't do anything about it.  
"Rui-aniki!" she whines when he walked pass her. "Come here for a bit." she gestured at him to come closer and when he was close enough, she grabbed his ear and whispered, "Aniki, talk to that pesky obaa-san again, I'm no one's slave~." he retracted and stood up straight. The closure almost made him blushing from her blood but he resisted. He doesn't know if his eyes turned red or not but it's good that he placed back his contact lenses to his eyes.  
"Rinko," he muffled her hair, patting her head like she's a dog. "Try to befriend her more. Be with her the whole day." he smiled and left with Akira and Zen, they're gonna fix their things. She sighed and whined again. Sayako glanced at her and smirked, which pissed her more.  
_She went out of their room, unlike yesterday she's the one who woke Fuyumi up. She paced, the brunette followed her. She's in a pissed off mood and a gloomy one that the other girl did not dare to say a single word. She's carrying the case by her right hand. If it's handle is someone's neck, that someone might have died already out of suffocation. She's gripping it so tightly that her knuckles have gone white. If Fuyumi will ask what's wrong, she'll say nothing but will smirk at her and later laugh evilly. That's the part of her that the brunette hates the most; that's the part that makes her a wild boar. When they arrived at the hall, Rinko sat at the farthest seat possible from her instinctively enemy, the vampire lord. The brunette, no matter how gloomy she is, still sat beside her. Unlike the usual her, she ate only a few meals and left with Fuyumi who was forced not to finish hers. Jole glanced at her an then to Sayako. The two have some kind of hatred aura leaking from their bodies but she ignored it. However, knowing what their lord can do, Maria, Rina and Khana and the others are staring at her. They averted their eyes when Sayako glared at them. She stood up and left grabbing Maria who's beside her when they both finished.  
"Sayako-sama," Maria called. "I just wondered, why you and Harume-san are always against each other?"  
"You didn't see it?" she growled.  
"I just wanna confirm. But I guess it's right."  
"That girl still knows nothing about me and she's already like that. It'll be a huge problem if she'll know the truth." she said exactly when they entered their room. They were both surprised to find the certain slayer blocking their way. As the last time, most of their classmates are glaring at her.  
"What truth is that about, obaa-san?" she cockily asked with a raised brow.  
"The truth that you're a loser, aho." she replied, lying. They passed by her and sat on their chairs. Ignoring the insult, she returened to her own seat as Shira entered the room.  
"Harume-san," she called her and she quivered. "Ten more essays today." and she started writing the lecture as the others get their pens and write their essays, ignoring her dilemma as she blankly stares into space, her mouth in the same position as last time. A chirping crow that passed by made her slumped her head on her desk and she later dozed off.  
The minutes passed and hearing her steady breathing, Shira turned to look at her, a vein became visible at her temple as her heart beat faster causing her blood to flow harder. Her eyes was about to turn to red in unison with the others' as they all glance at her, the only thing that's holding them back is their lord's gaze which seemed like a glare.  
"Fuyumi-san," she poked her. "That inoshishi will get it if you won't wake her up."  
"The other half of her consciousness is awake." she told her and everyone gazed in her direction. She sweatdropped. _W-what's with them? _"W-well...she just lazed again...she's still not full asleep..."  
"Aho, wake up." Sayako ordered her. Silence. "AHO!" she threw a book to her, hit her head and she instantly woke up.  
"Majo!" she glared at her. Witch smacked her head.  
"That's not me, baka!" after saying it hurts several times, she turned around and sent the lord a death glare. "What shit is with you!?" she stood up, was about to hit her when she sighed.  
"Shira-sensei." Sayako glimpsed at her, ignoring her slave, catching and blocking her first with her every punch. "Stop increasng her work every now and then, it's irritating." she hissed, Shira and company looked away, gloomed, and continued their works. She let Rinko go when the dumbstruck slayer calmed down.  
"O-obaa...-san?" she got back to her sit.  
"Don't misunderstand, I just hate it every time you're being loud, slave." she teased, smirking when she heard the slayer's blood rushed. Rinko didn't mind the insult but wrote her one out of ten essays down.

Shira went out after hearing the bell rang and gathering their papers. The students each passed a couple of essays while Rinko passed three out of ten. Shira had theatened her that she'll have her clean the room if she won't finish hers two hours before the dismissal. Everyone had left, including Fuyumi whose invitations she ignored, aside from her mortal enemy, the vampire lord. She doesn't want to continue what she's writing but to show her instinctively foe that she'll get it over with, she didn't falter and even with a groaning stomach, she refused to go down to neither to the canteen nor the cafeteria. She's glancing at the russet every approximately eight minutes, just to see her reading her usual book, which is her excuse for staying. She tried to talk to her countless times but all failed as both her nerves and voice betrayed her will. Silence came up to them. In every second. the only sound is the ticking off the clock. It's like they're accustomed to it until Rinko glanced at her again.  
"Aho, what are you looking at?" she finally asked. Rinko flinched.  
"It just annoys me every time those dog-like people act like that." she answered. "What did you do to them."  
"Nothing." she honestly answered.  
"They are exaggerated. I don't think that's normal." she went back to writing.  
"If you really want to know, then ask Jole." she stood up and paced to her side. "Come slave." she ordered.  
"It's not class hours, obaa-san." she insisted. Sayako ignored her and paced to the door, then halted.  
"Fine. I was just thinking of letting you eat whatever you want." she strolled outside. Just when she's already gone did Rinko's ears twitched at what she heard. Though hesitating, she dashed out and followed the hag then pounced on her just to receive a glare as the russet pulled her hair. "Just why did you pounce on me, aho!?"  
"D-did...I just hear you say I can eat, Sa-chan~?" she questioned with a pleading look.  
"Why 'Sa-chan'?" she asked, crooking a brow as she pushes her away. She got off.  
"Your name's Sayako, ne~?"  
"So, you still remember?" she felt a vein popped up.  
"Yup~!" Sayako almost slap her when she thought how many times this slayer had called her an old hag but ignored the urge to do and just went downstairs and to the crowded canteen with the raven who's following her after going to their room and carrying her case. This time, she received more of those unwanted death glares but she just insensitively walked and ignored them. "Ne, ne, they're doing it again." she whined as she clings to her.  
"What do you want me to do, then!?" she asked, uncaring about her situation as she pushes her away. Rinko let go.  
"Send them your death glare or tell them to not do it." she whined.  
"You're the slave, not me." she moved away when she got her ramen; Rinko stepped forward to order.  
"All meals, please." the staff before her was taken aback with his eyes wide opened as Sayako really did slap the slayer this time; almost pouring the hot ramen on her but hesitated since it would be a waste.  
"I said you can eat, not gobble!" and she ordered the lunch for the other herself and stomped to the table with Rinko where Jole sits, waving her hand at them invitingly with Rina, Sylvon Carai, Maria and Fuyumi; they placed their trays down and sat – Rinko, remembering what Sayako told her sided with Jole as the lord by Maria. Silence approached them when Sayako saw Rui and Akira at the next table in front of theirs. Maria was about to talk when Jole shook her head.  
"Ne, Jole-san," Rinko broke it and bluntly asked, "Why do Shira-sensei and most of our classmates act like dogs in our class?"  
"Why?" she looked at her and chuckled, then later broke into laughters. "...err, gomen. I forgot you and Fuyumi-chan are new students. Oh, and you can call me Jole or Jo-chan."  
"So...why?" she asked again, ignoring her uproar.  
"She's the most popular student in this university!" she continued to laugh.  
_She means most obeyed..._Rina irritably thought.  
_It's a misconception for the humans..._Sylvon almost sighed.  
_She got it wrong..._Maria sweat dropped. Fuyumi at her other side ignored them and not commented instead, just unfeelingly eat.  
"For real? That obaa-san?" she looked at her but only saw a dread look on her face. Sayako's trying to read her unreadable cousin who's directly at the raven's back. "O-obaa-san???" _I haven't anything again, have I?  
"_Err...don't talk to her for a while..." Sylvon warned while scratching the back of his head and laughing nervously as he knows what their lord is up to. "She's having a dilemma...or something..."  
"Dilemma...?" she took a look again and shuddered seeing her eyes. _T-they aren't red...b-but for a moment...I thought she's an oni...! _She nervously laughed in unison with Sylvon. "T-thanks for t-the w-warning..."  
"Ri-chan," Jole poked her. Rinko slowly turned to face the girl who's insensitive of the vampire lord's death aura. "You know, there's a fan club for her!" she said in daze, her eyes twinkling.  
"F-fan club?" Maria gestured at her she neared and the damphyr whispered,  
"I-it's just her imagination...t-there's no such thing as that...errm..." Rinko glimpsed at Jole and sweat dropped. "Don't mind her words...t-that much..." they sat properly when Rina glared at them.  
"Ri-chan, did you notice Sayako-kaichou's _natural_ beauty~?"  
_That's because she's vampire, stupid. _Sylvon and Maria sighed.  
"N-natural beauty?" she inched away from her, slightly trembling. _Now that she mentioned it, isn't almost everyone in this university has that 'beauty'? Like Maria-san, Sylvon-kun and Rina-san...?  
"_That's right! She's different from all of the students here! She won most of the votes this school year's student council election!"  
_She won all because she's the vampire lord..._Sighed Rina.  
"Ne, Ri-chan, what do you think~?" Jole asked; Rinko sighed and crossed her arms, already done of her full course meal. A moment passed by and she closed her eyes. "R-Ri-chan...?"  
"I think..." she slowly opened her shut eyes and unwaveringly stared at the girl of their talk who's in her front, gulping her drink. "She's a VAMPIRE." Rina, Sylvon, Maria and Fuyumi stood up as well as Akira from the other table, nervous look on their faces as everyone in the canteen who heard what she said glared at her. Sayako was near to spurting her drink to Rinko's face but held back and she was choked.  
"WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GET THAT IDE-!" the four exclaimed as Jole got a clueless expression but was only cut off by Sayako's evil laugh.  
"If I'm a vampire," she stated as the speechless Akira sat down as the three other did. "I'll tear you to shreds...or even bite you to death." she threatened Rinko with that eyes and the said girl shuddered again and averted her eyes to Fuyumi.  
"O-or an oni...? M-maybe she's...also a witch like majo-san?" at that she got Fuyumi's attention directed towards her, only making the situation worst. "Ne...Fu-chan, Sa-chan, why are you two _staring_ like...?"  
"They're not staring, they're glaring at you." Rina commented. Rinko only looked more pathetic.  
"Err...you-" the other students averted their gaze from her, sighing.  
"Inoshishi..." the brunette hissed as Sayako clench her first. "I'm being silent here without saying a word to you...yet you still involved me to your teasing,eh...?"  
"Watch your words, aho." Sayako stood up and paced to her cousin's table, the ones on their table following her with their eyes. "Rui...you should train that aho more." and she exited the canteen having her ramen finished up.  
"Fu-chan, should we go back, too?" but she only got more of her glare. "Fine...I-I'll just go back myself." she sighed as she stood up and followed Sayako.  
They were taking a stroll along a path at the outside of the school building where there are autumn trees that give them shadows. When the wind gusted their leaves fall as her russet hair was blown by it, again. Rinko's eyes widened when she remembered her words at her first day when they've talked. _It's the reason of why we're not in good terms, right? Because I don't trust anybody that I-  
"_Why did you follow?" Sayako asked with a rather cooler tone than a while ago as she turned to face the slayer.  
"...I don't-ah..." she paused and looked at the other girl in the eyes. "Shouldn't I follow you, Sayako-sama~?" she smiled. Sayako stayed blank.  
"What happened to your 'I'm no one's slave' attitude?" she raised a brow, crossing her arms.  
"Did Rui-aniki tell you that?" Rinko sighed. _What is he really up to? He seems to be close with her...and she with him. Thinking that now, she didn't use any honorifics to him...  
"_Yeah." the vampire lord lied. She then paced towards a tree and sat underneath it and on the grassy ground.  
"Wouldn't your uniform get dirty?" though the girl wasn't in her front anymore, she still walked near her and observed her. _Now that she's this calm, it's like she really belongs in this season. _She sat beside her, gazing at the falling leaves.  
"I don't mind it. Besides, this ground isn't that dirty." she reasoned out.  
"Sayako-sama...I-I guess...gomen ne..."  
"Don't apologize just because I was declared your master."  
"No. That has nothing to do with this. I got the worst first impression of you." they looked at each other.  
"Same here." she said without breaking the eye contact. Rinko laughed and irritated her. She tried to read the girl's mind but-_I can't!? But how...? I-is her...desire for revenge that great? _Her widened but she calmed down. "What's funny?"  
"Nothing...really sorry for my words, ne? Sayako-sama?"  
"Don't call me '-sama'." she stood up, Rinko looked up at her. "If you wanna serve me then serve me as a friend. Let's serve each other as friends."  
"Then...Sa-chan?" she smiled at her, getting up and patting the grasses off her skirt. "Can I call you that?" Sayako sighed at her. "I'll take that as yes, Sa-chan~!"  
"More importantly," she smirked at her. "Don't you have essays to finish?"  
"Ack! I-I forgot...!" she paced back, a clumsy look plastered on her face.  
"That kid..." her eyes narrowed. _Just-  
"_I'll cook for you tomorrow, ne~!" said she with a fading voice along a hall.  
"Cook? Just be sure there's no poison." she glared at Rinko's previous place. _Just how much hatred do you have? What will you do if you knew this university is full with the beings you detest? Rui...will you be safe at that time? _She thought in a daze and headed back in.

[mosaic pieces]


	3. Chapter 03

Chapter 03

Darkness envelopes everything in this time, the storm is raging like a frustrated bull, the raven-haired slayer watches it like its matador and even though the fear is inside her trembling heart, she did not mind it. She got up and reached under her bed and grabbed a psychology book. It's unusual for her to read something like that. It's even weirder for it to be covered with plastic since her covered books are only her favorite ones.  
She then laid back on her bed and started to read. It took her a long minute before she flipped the page. It seemed like she stared at it for long and imagined before she did that action. Fuyumi came out of the bathroom, ruffling her light brown hair with a white cotton towel. She's holding the same book that Rinko reads at her right hand.  
Seeing them weirdly quiet, Sayako got confused and got off from her bed above the double deck. She sat on Fuyumi's for a while and waited until the brunette's hair dried off and sat beside her. Fuyumi laid back as Rinko did and read, totally ignoring the russet at the end of her bed. It thundered but Rinko stayed the same, not even blinking while she reads. It's the same with Fuyumi. The vampire lord really got confused. They're usually quite noisy and busy arguing with each other but it's the complete opposite now. It's like they quarreled or something.  
"You two, why aren't you-" she stated but only received glares from them. "Wha-"  
"Shhh. Be quiet." they both said at the same time like twins which was creepy with them as the subjects. It got into Sayako's nerves when she thought they're always the ones who are loud and she was thinking of snatching their books but did not since she remembered they are to be given a long test by next Monday.  
"If it's about-"  
"I said be quiet, obaa-san." Rinko cut her off with her usual tone and not her 'slave' one without even bothering to look at her.  
"What's that, exactly!" she glared at Fuyumi, then to Rinko.  
"We can't tell you, Sayako-kaichou." Rinko said, calling her in that name just aggravated Sayako's shortening temper. That name was the one she had called her when they were talking in that music room. Remembering the slayer just apologized yesterday made it even worse.  
"Tell me." she ordered, barely managing her temper.  
"You really wanna know?" Fuyumi asked peeking to look at her behind her book like she's telling a suspense story to a three year old kid.  
"Of course." _Since it gotten you so busy without talking to each other. _Fuyumi glanced at Rinko as Rinko glanced at her like they are thinking about the same thing. They nodded at each other. "Don't freak out, okay?" she asked again, putting her book down. Rinko did the same. They both smirked a smirk that told Sayako she shouldn't take her chances with them but her curiosity got the best of her.  
"You've been warned, obaa-san." Rinko teased, smiling at her like she's wearing another facade again. Sayako nodded and reached out to Fuyumi but she dodged. A vein became visible at what the brunette did. "Sa-chan, here." she called her, waving the book to her like it's a napkin. Sayako grabbed it. "Majo-san won't lend you any of her _books." _Sayako opened it to the middle part. The best friends – or best rivals at certain times when the situation suggests that they're competing with each other - were silently staring at her.  
In the book, there were two guys being absorbed in a heated kiss under a shower. _"Usa...our clothes at least...fu...nnn...ah!" _the younger looking guy uttered a moan that was only muffled by their kiss. The guy arched back. _"Because we're soaked...it's too much...Usagi-san's...I can feel it through his clothes."  
_Sayako's hands trembled as she flipped some more pages and ended up seeing the guys doing some things inappropriate – things only done in bed between a man and woman. The russet threw it at Rinko who quickly caught it and grabbed Fuyumi's which really frustrated the brunette but quickly threw it back at the girl who gladly took it, forgetting her grudge.  
"Those books are mangas...those are...a-are..." she glared at the both of them, her face beet red, scared of whatever those guys – or gays – gays for life.  
"Yeah...YAOI." the fujoshis both said, striking hard to the vampire's ears like they're going to bleed. The slayers reverted to what they're doing with some snickers and muted peals of laughter, which only made the vampire lord more decided to stand up, snatch their books to confiscate them – which she did, making the two frowned. Yet smirk after a second.  
"Want to read more?" Rinko smugly asked.  
"There are more in that box." Fuyumi voice, pointing to the box at a corner. Sayako glared at them scathingly and paced to the said box, threw the books there and carried it outside surprising the two and causing them to panic and cling on her, preventing her to move.  
"What do you think you're doing!" Fuyumi growled at her warningly.  
"Put that back in our room!" Rinko ordered, pissing the vampire more that was proven when she looked back at them, shadows on her face that she appeared so dreadful.  
"Confiscating! What else! These are considered porn!" shivers ran down their spines as they froze, letting Sayako go. _How dare you...young ones! _The word 'confiscation' rings in their head like a bell that condemns them but more importantly, if they'll get suspended as students, their investigation will get postpone so-  
"Obaa-san!" they dashed to her and pounced, Rinko's trying to snatch the box back.  
"We don't plan to get any sanction!" Fuyumi exclaimed, nipping on Sayako's ear making the older girl more devastated.  
"Teme, stop that!" she snapped at her, shoving her away. "Aho, d-don't try to...Ack! Damn it! Aho, let go!" kicking the raven away and shoving the brunette off of her, she freed herself from them and was about to stomp outside their dorm when she felt them clung tightly to her legs. "Hanase, tte ba!" not caring if they'll get hurt, she moved forward, bit by bit as she drags them.  
"Don't try us! We won't budge!" said the raven to her, the brunette nodded fiercely.  
"T-two options!" at that, they gazed up at her and then let go and sat like cats. Sayako sighed, sweat dropping. "It's either I'll tell this to the council or I'll confiscate these mangas and you'll be banned from any yaoi." the two stared at her grumpily.  
"Like we'll agree with either of that." they said in unison. Sayako sighed again, putting it down without failing to look at them – their smiles. And at the last second, the box an inch apart from the marble floor-"Oi! Obaa-san!"...she ran, taking it, leaving the slayers with their mouths dropped opened. Yet, regaining their senses, they came after her.  
"She'll tell that to the student council!" Fuyumi exclaimed, a horrid expression on her face as they stood up.  
"Don't worry, she headed to the left stairs!" she said. The other looked at her. "Remember, the student council room is nearer to the right."  
"So what are you doing, go after her!" she commanded, pinching her ear.  
"Hey you-!" she slapped her hand away and caressed her abused lobe. "Majo-san, teme-!"  
"G-go after her!" she hissed, trying hard not to shout since the students in the rooms along the corridor might get alert.  
"Why me?" the raven protested. "You have more stamina!"  
"Shut up! I'll try to hide the others in our room!" Yes, there are more in their closet.  
Anyway, Rinko obeyed, afraid to waste precious time in arguing with the ever winning witch and never catch up with the russet.

_That obaa-san! _Rinko thought, a low growl slid through gritted teeth as she quickly ran down the stairs and banged out of the back door where she spotted a little of Sayako who slipped nimbly. _Getting into other people's business is really a hobby of hers, eh! And she's now heading to the boys' dorm! _At the outside of the dorms is a forest-like path where there are autumn trees like where their conversation took place yesterday. _J-just what can happen to us if she'll-ah! no, no, no! She's already the president! _Seeing a little of her again, she hasten up, slightly panting.

_T-this must reach that brat! _The russet thought looking back at Rinko who's a few meters from her, catching up. _That human girl's a bit fast! _Focusing on her way, she sped up. _This is...just so...irritating! Seeing those guys...argg! So gross! _Remembering what she saw gave her stomach a knot that made her queasy and almost wanting to puke but held back. _If I'll use my normal speed, it would be suspicious to her...Rui! Do you know what your dogs are doing!  
_The thought that crossed her mind only worsen her temper as she felt her blood ran faster and hotter through her veins. Watching the box, so no manga would fall, every moment. Reaching the door of the boys' dorm, she banged the door open and dashed to the stairs. Tracing her cousin's faint scent led her to the third floor of the dorm. Looking back again, she saw Rinko slowing down, exhausted. Ignoring her, she hurriedly paced to the door where Rui's scent comes from then banged it open and dropped the box on the wooden floor then walked in. The reddish-black haired guy lays on his bed as if sleeping. The room is dark so Sayako lit the lights up. Rui's the only one present in it.  
"Rui-!"  
"Your spy isn't here, he's in the dinning hall with Akira gobbling-"  
"That's not what I've come here for-" shutting her up, Rinko pounced on her that the both of them stumbled on the floor with a loud thud which woke up Rui, fully. "Aho, let go!" she commanded the raven who restrains her, pushing her off.  
"I won't unless you give our box and get ou-"  
"You two..." Rui interfered, getting their attentions, dark aura with murderous intent oozing from him as they glanced at his shadowed face that threatened them both. _He's a demon when woken up at a wrong time! _The two inwardly started to pray when_-_ "What are you doing here, Sayako-kaichou?" he brightly asked, his mood clearing up upon seeing his cousin.  
"As you see..." Rinko started nipping her ear just like what Fuyumi did, earning an irritated groan from Sayako. "I'm struggling from the grasp of this aho!" she complained, turning back to glaring at the girl who glared back at her. "I said 'let go!'"  
"NOOWEI..." she replied, still nipping at her.  
"Err...you two, tell me just what this is all about..." he sweat dropped when they both roared, explaining at the same time, their words being jumbled up. "Will you be relaxed?"  
"I can't be relaxed!" they growled at him with their bitter death glares.  
"First, this aho is on me, so I can't!" Sayako complained pushing the fujoshi away. "Will you mo-" Rinko shut her up again, her hand over Sayako's mouth and letting her lobe go.  
"Just forget what you saw already..." she whispered to her. Sayako glared at her and bit her finger, causing her to scream as she let go.  
"As if!" she stood up, coughing to clear her voice as Rinko blows and caresses her bitten finger. "Rui we need to talk."  
"About?" he hesitatingly asked, scratching his temple.  
"Your dogs' fetishes." she glared at him, her hand clenching into a fist. "That box is full of yaoi mangas!" saying those words made her feel queasy, yet again.  
"Err...yeah I know..." he nervously laughed. Her eyes narrowed.  
"You know? And you're tolerating them!" she hissed at him and pointed to where the box _that's_-"That box...where is it!" missing in place. Her eyes were beginning to turn red as she noticed Rinko tiptoeing out the room and chased her, grabbing her clothes resulting them to stumble again. "You sneaky aho!"  
"Look at what-!...eh?" noticing the mangas that scattered on the floor when the box dropped, she turned pale. _T-the others aren't covered yet! _Sayako stood up, dusting her clothes off and picked up a book and shove it in front of Rui. He took it.  
"You know they brought it here?"  
"W-well..." he started reading it and turned blue. "I know but...Rinko's already eighteen." Sayako growled at him.  
"This is a university Rui." she turned and he helped(?) her in picking the scattered books on the floor and returning them inside the box. "She's banned from yaoi this day onwards. I'm still the student council president." her statement struck the fujoshi.  
"Ne, ne...Sayako-sama...?" she laughed nervously as she slowly glanced at her. "Saya...ko-sama?" Rui repeated, loosing grip of the books.  
"Don't -sama, -sama me, aho." when all the books are in place she carried the box and entrusted it to Rui. "Don't fall for that human, Rui." she whispered to him with a glare. "Go back to our room now, aho."  
"D-d-d-d-demo!" she clung to her with tearful eyes. "Those are our precious yaoi mangas which we collected since _sixth grade!" _telling her how _young _they were when they started to _become_ like that only pissed the vampire more.  
"Go now or I won't eat your meals tomorrow." She threatened her. Rinko froze and wobbly went back depression. She looked at Rui and headed to his room, he followed. When they got inside, he placed the box down. They sat on his bed, Sayako's eyes slowly becoming as crimson as blood or a red rose.  
"So...you're really angered, e-eh?"  
"I really wanted to throw up when I saw that manga..." she stated. "Why did you tolerate them?"  
"They're already grown-ups...and actually," he scratched his temple and sighed. "...some of those mangas are gifts from me..." Sayako's pulse became faster and in a blink of his eyes, he's pinned on the nearest wall. "The wall cracked."  
"I don't care." she leaned and slowly sank her fangs onto his flesh, blood gushing slowly out from the wound. He grasped her shoulder, his eyes turning red too. She's sucking a lot of blood. It's not the same bite she gave him before, he can feel it's not a venomous one...or maybe he's just oblivious of the venom since it can't affect him for what he became – he's not human anymore. He can feel the condemnation from Akira before when he knew it, when he pointed his gun against him, and the darkness of his life...but even though her bite, which reminds him of those things, is a painful one...one that can send death to him ever so quickly, he didn't mind. He only lived to change this girl who was overcame with confusion...and since she became worried of those humans, those slayers, he thought he'd just leave the task to them since this most precious girl to him wishes it. But, she retracted and held his shoulders and gazed to his already crimson eyes. "I never wished to kill you, annoying idiot." she said as she flicked a finger on his forehead. "Nor did I became worried of them."  
"..you...read...my mind?" he muttered, almost inaudibly as he breathes heavily.  
"Yes. When I bit you before, you weakened and I was able to do it. But now...don't let your guard down." she wiped the remnants of blood on her lips and chin then stepped outside the room, close the door and leaned on it. The thoughts of the guy are still echoing in her mind. She didn't want to hurt him. As he knows, she's a tough looking girl but a kind and caring one despite all her facades and her threats. She strolled along the corridor, meeting Zen and Akira. Noticing the scent, he became alerted.  
"You bit that guy?" Zen questioned, his cocky and meddling tone in his voice.  
"Rui?" Akira uttered. It sounded like a statement more than a question.  
"He won't die from something like that." she walked between them as Akira dashed forward to their room. Zen followed her, suspicious of his lord's reason.

"Why is that old hag still isn't here!" stammered Rinko as she looked at the brunette, they're both raising a brow to each other. "Any guesses?"  
"I'll go there to know." Fuyumi stood up an smirked, a glint of malice is noticeable in her eyes. "And I'll get our box too."  
"Yeah!" Rinko exclaimed, her mood suddenly brightening up as she pushes the brunette out the room. "That's the spirit!"  
"W-wait!" Fuyumi slapped her hand, and faced her. "Why is it only me who'll go!"  
"You haven't done anything yet." she smirked at her. The brunette sighed in defeat.

_Why did I react like that? _Akira questioned himself. He's in front of the door of their room now but he just can't help but to hesitate whether he'd go in or show the vampire some bit of concern. He said before that he'll just follow and obey him for he's the one who saved them, the reason of why they survived from that night was mainly because of his help. He never treated him like a cousin as Rui told him to. It's more like they're just coincidentally became senpai and kouhai but he didn't mind that. His chest is heaving. It's not like their memories together with Rinko and Fuyumi was good-for-nothing. They had still formed those kind of bonds. So, to think that Rui's in this kind of situation...it's just so breathtaking. He always thinks that this guy doesn't need any help as he's stronger than any of the slayers around them. A small creak from a bed inside startled him.  
"Are you...really going to just stay there, standing...hesitating?" Rui asked asked from the inside with his hoarse voice. Akira turned the knob and walked in, closing the wooden sepia door behind him.  
"Of course not." Akira said and went in and saw Rui topless. His polo was damped on a corner of his bed. "Wash that shirt now, or the stain of your blood will be hard to care of." he neared him and examined his features until he noticed that his blood trickling and the closing bite marks on the left side of his neck.  
"Don't come...near me...baka..." he barely managed to mutter. "I've weakened...and so my control...as well..."  
"You want some blood?" he teased him, smirking as he came closer to him. Rui tried to resist, biting his lip. "I'm willing to give you some if you'd beg for it."  
"You're...humiliating me..." and a silent curse followed.  
"Vampires are vampires, Rui. If you won't take it, you might bite the others especially Rinko and my _only cousin." _and he took his shirt off and threw it to a side. Can't take the fast beating of the human's heart and his fast pulse, he grabbed his neck and laid him on the bed. "T-the sheets might get tainted." but the vampire ignored him-  
"It...won't hurt." he said as he noticed the human tensed and slowly and carefully caressed his fangs down on his skin, which smelled like lavender, scratching it. The scent of his body and blood appeased him more that he nimbly bit him and sucked the scarlet substance.  
"...ah...ah...nnn...Rui...! Rui...Rui..." The ex-human knows that he can't take much or this frail human will die but as Akira started to moan, saying his name lustily, he just can't help but to be greedy to the slayer. Everything in Akira's vision began to cloud and blur and the only thing in his focus is this ex-human on him, lavishing on his blood. _How could he when he's already too absorbed with this sweet blood that he's feasting on?_ , Akira though.  
But suddenly, Rui did withdraw his teeth and sat up before him. "Someone else is here..." he mumbled as he stared at the guy. A thin layer of sweat covers his skin, illuminating his features more. Eyes fluttering, chest heaving, cheeks flushed, lips puffy(!) – this expression of his was a sight to be behold. It's an invitation for vampire especially with his blood trailing down, but Rui resisted and stood up, gaining his strength again, and opened the door-  
"O-onii-sama...? Finished already?" he grew pale, seeing the mischievous fuijoshi drooling before him. She wiped it and stared back at him, eyes still in daze for everything she just heard. She reluctantly came inside wanting to see how her cousin looks like and her mouth dropped in awe when she saw sparks when Akira sat up, gazing at her.  
"F-Fuyumi...?" he said thinking he's seeing things but the moment he saw that devilish smile on her face, he paled, just like Rui did. "I-it's not like...what you think! It-" that's all he managed to explain as he fainted – either because of what the ex-human did or the fact that this insane yaoi crazed girl is here, and saw him like that – but either way, it's _perverted._  
"Fuyumi...get out of here..." Rui growled. She ignored him. He grabbed her shoulder. She turned and glance at him, only to be threatened to see the blazing, flickering, hot fire in his torch-like hand. "Get out unless you want to be reduced to ashes..." the flame's right in front of her eyes. She dashed out, sweating either because she's nervous or because of the hotness of the dangerous thing. The door slammed close to her dismay that she hadn't got the box...but it's nothing compared what she just witnessed... she wore that smile again and sadistically laughed on her way back in her mind.

* * *

_When I went to brush my teeth, I was almost surprised to see the small bite marks on my neck. I still couldn't believe it was like that. The action that can draw anyone to death felt so feverish, so mind-breaking that I almost forgot I'm a human, that I could die from blood lost if ever Rui hadn't stopped. _Akira thought as he dresses up, not forgetting to cover the marks. _I'm not saying that it was a good thing that that insane girl heard those stupid, weird, creepy noises that I never thought would come from me. According to the research and evidences, vampires' bites are agonizingly painful...they're the ones that you won't ever want to get. So, just what did that guy do for it to become...so pleasurable? Will I just ask him instead than thinking about it myself? No...he might just laugh on me when he knew I felt that way...Kuso! _He slammed his forehead on his hand as he felt his face grew hotter. "I just hope Fuyumi won't make a ruckus on what she heard and saw." and he slid out the room and followed Rui, then went to the hall side by side.

A group of girls surrounds Fuyumi and Rinko as they eat. This made the vampire lord irritated. She's eating the personally made breakfast by Rinko, the most annoying person on her list, which is composed with an scrambled egg, bacon, a mushroom soup, etc, etc.. That alone is enough to irritate her. She would refuse to eat it but because of her abrupt threat yesterday, she can't. Plus, she doesn't have any reason to since they all said it's good, including the staffs in the kitchen. They're her _people _but strangely, like Rinko had befriended them, they agreed with her in everything...which made her feel nice since it's sickening to have everything so predictable. To have them be so obedience to the point that they'll sacrifice their lives protecting her even without her command. The thought that she had _changed_ them suddenly struck her that she shook her head. Anyway, no matter how much that thing had been nice, she can't ignore that fact that the girls are still squealing 'kya! kya!' – including Fuyumi – even if they're already in their class.  
"Rinko," she whispered to her. "Do you know why they're like that?"  
"It's about Rui-aniki and Akira-aniki, I think. It's yaoi." she answered, barely curious about it. Sayako nearly choked when she heard it.  
"Between them!" she asked, gulping her tea. Rinko stayed silent until they got into their rooms. Despite the silence, the girls around them in their seats keep on passing that piece of paper. Sayako didn't want to meddle since it's inappropriate and it's class hours but that vein on her temple just can't be ignored anymore. Rinko was focused on reading a book. Sayako suspected that it's that 'psychology book' again but peeping from the back, she saw it's not. It's about the different laws of different countries. She's reading the Great Britain's. She's been into it lately. Shira-sensei just gave them a test, mostly concerned with the law. She's now slowly dazing off to her dreamland as she checks their papers up, which is really a favor for the girls.  
Some minutes had passed and Shira had slept completely, letting the class to have their 'freedom' from writing the outline of their thesis. The girls swarmed around Fuyumi, reading the purely fan girl made fiction about their two favorite nice guys who had been with them for a short time. Rinko wanted to fuss with them but hesitated since she holds unto her so-called respect for the two.  
"Shouldn't you be doing your _outline_?" Sayako cockily asked raising an eyebrow. Some girls glared at her, the others shuddered.  
At that, Rinko was able to gather courage and opened her mouth to say, "That's a crap if it's between them." the girls stared blank towards the two who were the most arguing people in the class. This is the first time they've had a silent agreement. A girl handed the paper back to Fuyumi and the brunette gave it to the raven, smirking.  
"Read it first before complaining." Said her best friend. Rinko was about to refuse but then the thought of those bishounens doing it lost her and she silently sat on her seat and read, forgetting her 'respect' completely and angering Sayako at their backs even more. Her jaw dropped open. It's not just yaoi. It's _vampire _yaoi.(imagine it like KanZe=rui's kaname and akira's zero!=)) LOL.i want to detail it but i can't. i must _not)  
_As they know, vampires are such exquisite beings who kills humans by sucking their blood as food and then gaining power. Fuyumi knows that this slayer's oh-so-hatred towards the said beings is enormous enough for her to be driven crazy and obsessed in killing them but just a moment when she started reading it...she began laughing an evil laugh, one that most of them thought belongs to a demon, devil or something. Then, when she finished, she laid it on her desk, gripped her pen and mentally crossed every 'vampire' word on it. Basically, only concentrating on the word yaoi.  
She handed it back. Fuyumi gulped. Sayako raised a brow, resting her head on her palms as she ponders on what this raven have read, she has no idea. Rinko smiled brightly at them.  
"Vampires(she means yaoi) wa daaaaaiiiiisuki~!"she uttered in a daze as the scenes in that paper flowed back to her mind. The other slayer was stunned, as well as the vampire lord, knowing how immense her hatred was.  
_Just because of a screwed, fucking stupid, perverted thing...she forgot it all_..._or perhaps she's just really too absorbed into the yaoi part that she had forgotten the vampires? No...maybe she's just more naive than I thought she was, _Sayako speechlessly thought, her vision blurring. _Just how stupid is she?_  
Rina suddenly stood up and paced to them. She picked the piece of paper up and was about to read it but Sayako snatched it, stopping her.  
"Let go, lord-san." she cockily said, without caring with girl's rank or whatsoever. "I want to know what that mess is all about."  
"You shouldn't." she sighed then shuddered.  
"I don't care even if you're the 'lord'. You can't just control someone with your rank." her words struck the vampire lord but instead of being angered she smiled at her. "W-what?"  
"It's not something pleasant to be read so please?" Sayako pleaded nicely that Rina absentmindedly surrendered the paper.  
_Why was she like that? _Rina thought as she sat beside the russet. "I still want to know what's inside," then she poked Fuyumi. "Fu-chan, what is this?" the tone of her voice suddenly cooled down as she smiles at her.  
"Vampire yaoi fandom." she plainly said. The charcoal haired girl's expression turned bitter, her hand clenched to a fist as she slowly repeated.  
"Y-yaoi?"  
"Want to see?" the girls asked in a daze.  
Rina violently shook her head and walked back to her seat, trembling. She gloomed, crestfallen, as she heard Sayako say something like "I told you" as the russet sweat dropped and tore the paper apart.

[when fujoshis attack…]


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 04

Jole yawned, lazing as Rinko sluggishly sleeps on her own desk. It's not really a good morning for them. There's nothing to do. By next week it'll be November yet their investigate still isn't complete. Two weeks have passed since they've been assigned there but all they can do about the mission was send reports which is making the headquarters anxious.  
Rui thought they would sooner or later send other squad to take over their mission and that would be bad for him. Rinko's still the same although Sayako said she seemed to trust her more than before, he still worries about the fact that their bonds will be broken if he'll explain to the raven what they really are. Besides, he knows Rinko's feelings would get hurt if ever she knew the lies around her. But, through those past few years, he knew her enough that he can predict what she'll think or how she'll react. Sayako just stopped him since she secretly worries for him. Akira, unlike Rui, is cooperating with Fuyumi in the mission. Rui told him not to get too worked up because his cousin won't falter in being the vampire lord. Although Akira knows that Rui's in fact worries about Sayako, he just let him do what he wants. From Fuyumi's point of view, things are smoothing for Rina, Sylvon and Maria. They are close the Rinko as she is. Sayako's by their side always, although she denies she's in their group. Rina, unlike before, had been less nautical to Sayako and would chatter with her, sometimes, making the rest of the vampires around them to get envious. Sylvon, being with Rina always, wonders what's with her sudden change.  
Their break came and their usual group just stayed, not minding the silence. Rina and Sylvon are both reading books, which are most probably G.A. manga. Maria's on her desk, eating the bento Rinko made for her, sharing it with Jin Kiba, the closest guy to her in their class. Sayako's reading a book, again, yet secretly dropping her head to sleepiness. Fuyumi – who always notice things that others usually don't – noticed Sayako's same dilemma with the others and decided to sleep and give up to the temptation.  
Few minutes later, Jole forgot about the common thing and sneaked to Rinko and Fuyumi then softly tapped her palms on the raven's desk, waking her up. Rinko stared up at her, blinking to focus her vision.  
"Ne, can you come with me tomorrow? Ri-chan?" she asked, pleadingly.  
"For what…?" she asked, sleepily. Jole suddenly cheered up, knowing she'd come.  
"AH! F-for the school festival of my younger sister!" she enthusiastically said. Rinko's eyes widened at her. "It will last for three days! And like always, they're the ones who'll organize it. Outsiders with an invitation can come! There's no class this coming Saturday so-"  
"F-fine! I'll go, calm down..." she sweat dropped, pushing her a bit back when she cheered up more. "I'll tell that to Fuyumi and we'll-"  
"She already knows!" Jole said with wide smile. Rinko just dropped her head and slept again, thinking she'll just eat later.

* * *

"Why am I with you, anyway?" hissed Sayako in annoyance. It's Saturday and she's supposed to be sleeping by this time but for Rina's request, she joined them. The thing that the vampire lord is irritated of right now is the fact that Jole grouped them. Rina , Fuyumi and Sylvon; Jin, Raito Bakashi – Rina's another friend, and Khana – from another course; and herself, Maria, then Rinko. "You didn't even tell me what's the event."  
"W-well-" Jole uttered but-  
"Well what? You're not even one with any of these groups." Sayako glared at her, arms crossed, a foot tapping on the ground.  
"My sister just recently asked me to help them in their cafe." she nervously said. "Y-you can enjoy yourselves here." From their backs, Rinko's arguing with Fuyumi whether to go back – for their mission – or not. But since Rui and Akira are left there, they quieted down as they started to move. Jole hurried to her sister. It's unexpected and she honestly wants to go with them but her sister asked her for their sensei was ill.  
"Ri-chan!" Rina called out to Rinko. "We'll go there first," she said, pointing a finger to her left and to the right. "Khana-chan's group would start at the opposite side."  
"So, we'll go straight first." she replied, glancing at Maria who smiled at her. "I heard there's a haunted room upstairs." and they parted. Rinko hurried upstairs with the two who merely thinking what that 'room' would be. Looking at Sayako now, Maria noticed a faint smile on her lips, probably caused by the childish actions of the so-called slayer who's opening every single door along the corridor.

"Rina, you're sure you're fine?" Sylvon asked in a low voice. They've been alive for just a century or more. They just recently knew that they can now walk under this bright sunlight without burning or turning to dust or even the fear that they might lose they sanity and become blood-craving monsters more than they already are without their control. However, this topaz eyed girl suddenly felt dizzy being under it for some minutes that they hid under some shadows. Fuyumi on the other hand tried to buy some lemonades from some stalls.  
"I'm just...not yet used with the sunlight." Said the girl.  
"Then you should shelter under that tent," said Fuyumi who just came back from behind him, plastic cups of lemonades in her hands. They both tensed. Judging from what she said, she heard everything. And remembering what Sayako told them, he stood defensively.

_I came with them for Sayako-sama...not to be with these guys..._Khana said though no words came out from her mouth when her lips parted. Raito and Jin tried to play some tricks in one stall. Her worries faded back when she thought they'd all meet up at the cafe of Jole's sister. She only needs to be patient and trust Sayako. That girl, Rinko, maybe a slayer but Sayako's their lord..._wait...Maria's with her...she'll become a shield to her...the things won't be easy for- "_What are you thinking?" a male's voice asked, shoving a cold bottle of water to her cheek making her winced from it in surprise.  
"R-raito..." she muttered and grasped the bottle and twisted its cap then drank. "Nothing in particular." she said as she wiped off the liquid from her thin pale pink lips and smiled at him.

Walking along a maze-like path, Maria clings to Sayako's clothes. They say that the person in between dies in a picture so to calm her, Rinko secretly moved in between the two. The haunted room is like their auditorium. They only made some walls from boxes to make it look like a maze, where scary thing will surely pop up to scare the guests who'll come.  
There were some cobwebs in some corners and the horror thing was only emphasized with the background music and especially their surrounding, which were tainted with red substance looking like gore. They don't know what those are but the room was, as expected from something haunted, filled with eerie things.  
"I wonder how much yen they spent on this room," Rinko calmly said, looking around, examining every corner to find some ghost."  
"What are you doing, aho?" Sayako coldly. "We're not here to ghost-hunt, are we?"  
"Well..." and paced faster, catching up to them. "If this were. really 'haunted', then there would be some ghost or creepy things, ne?"  
"You're creepy enough."  
"Speak for yourself." they glared at each other and probably would quarrel if Maria didn't gasp. They glanced at her in unison. "What is it?"  
"T-there..." she pointed a finger in their front where a well that's about a bit distant from them stands creepily.  
"Isn't that Sadako's?" Sayako smirked, teasing her.  
"S-Sayako-san!" she whimpered, tears welling up as if she'll cry. Laughter chimed up from Sayako and Rinko. "O-oi~!"  
"Let's go there and know!" Rinko suggested. "This is a once in a life time experience!" and she strode there. Sayako strolled with Maria, who was still clutching on her clothes. For a moment, Rinko didn't move as if she's seeing something. "S-Sa-chan?" she nervously asked.  
"Hmmm?" they got to her side. "Being wimpy now? Want to go back?"  
"It's not like that...Sadako also has a face..n-n-n-n-ne?" she slowly turned to them. Sayako thought she was paler than usual. Maria loosened her grip and took a glimpsed of what's behind the girl – it's the antagonist of one of the legendary horror movies of all time, Sadako with her long black hair...and head without a face.  
The other guests at the door heard their uncontrolled screams and made them back out and go to the other room, which unfortunately, can't be done by the three anymore since their already in the middle of the room.

"Fu-chan!" Rina called, of what happened some tensed minutes ago are completely forgotten. "Look! Look! I won this from that stall!" that stall refers to the one where Sylvon is still is. They exchanged smiles as the said guy got back to their side. Rina's eyes focused on the teddy bear that she cuddles. They've got to a lot of stalls and the most recent made her especially happy. Despite the fight that was just about to tart a while ago, if they didn't listen to Fuyumi, it's as if it never happened now.  
"How long have you been friends?" Fuyumi asked, still smiling. Rina's lips formed back to a thin line, disappointing the other. She was about to apologize when Rina parted her lips to speak,  
"Well...who knows. We don't keep a record of our long lives." she smiled again, but the brunette knows it's a fake one. "Sylvon! Hurry up or we'll leave you!"

Rinko shuddered as Sadako started to crawl out of the well. Without thinking of whatever the vampire lord will say, she run to Sayako's back and hid. The music rung in their ears making it look like they were in a horror film. But Sayako stayed calm as she stares to the climbing freak, not minding the music which threatens the other two. "Weren't you calmly looking for ghosts a while ago?" Sayako blankly asked. "It's right here, before us. Be courteous and at least, say 'hi'."  
"To hell with ghost-hunting!" she shouted at her, her voice echoing around the room. Sayako covered her eyes, not scared even a single bit. Sayako raised a hand then waved it in the creepy girl's front.  
"Like this." she said then brought her hand down. "Hi." She and Maria walked away, turning to another path, leaving the raven behind. Her jaw dropped. Thinking of how calmly she did that, she raised her hand and waved it-  
until Sadako touched her. "GYAAAAAAAHHHH!"

"Khana-san! Khana-san! Look here!" Jin cheerfully called her. He's trying to catch a gold fish for reading glasses he's planning to give to Raito who likes books. "I can't catch it. Can you help me?" She nodded, taking the small net like catcher. Few second later, she caught a fish as Jin smiled at her. They returned the fish back to the water then took the glasses and looked for Raito who just got a book to read. They come closer to him and sat on the chairs around the table he chose.

"Wait up, you old hag!" her voice echoed as she chases them, desperate to catch up.  
"Scared already?" Sayako teased, smirking.  
"That Sadako..." she whines before her.  
"Sayako-san..." Maria muttered in a barely audible voice. "Let's get out of her alrea-"  
"Was awesome!" she exclaimed. Sayako sighed at her. _She's still trembling. Doesn't she know when to stop?  
"_What are you saying?" Maria snarled at her. "I nearly got a heart attack when I saw...her gruesome face..."  
"Face?" Sayako said, her voice not really in a questioning tone. "Does she have one?" the two shuddered.  
"Well...then..." Rinko stayed behind Sayako. Her voice still held its stillness but that contrast to what she's doing. "Let's get moving and get to the end of this maze!"  
"W-what if we can't? A-and...we got lost?" Sayako and Rinko both stared at Maria for a moment.  
"We'll be staying here until the festival ended." Sayako said, expressionlessly. And they resumed walking.  
_Why is she always like that? _Rinko pouted behind Sayako's back. Maria wasn't clinging to her any more as there are no more creepy things like the last they saw, which was bloody hands on the walls along their path. Rinko and Maria got a bit close to them and the hands grasped. They're fortunate to have Sayako by their side. _She's always blank when she's not being teased. _She elbowed Maria. The girl looked at her.  
"Did that old hag ever get scared?"  
"Err..." she paused, controlling a sigh for this girl called her supposedly 'master' an old hag, yet again. "She got surprised a few times."  
"Surprised, eh?" she suddenly searched into her shoulder bag that she brought with them and took a camera out, much to Maria's dismay. She's planning something...something more than obvious that it is from the looks of her face. "That's more than enough...isn't it unfair that she was the only one to get to see us scared?" even though, she hates it, Maria can't deny the desire to see that kind of reaction from Sayako and she reluctantly smirked as Rinko did.  
"You two," Sayako called them. "don't fall back or I'll leave you." and they followed her, carrying the same vengeful plans in their minds that for the first time, Maria possessed.  
As they walked further, Sayako knew how to get out of the maze and if not for the two, slowing her down with their ruckus with every single 'ghost' they encountered, she might have got out the haunted room.  
"Sa-chan?" Rinko seriously asked behind her. "T-that...what is that?"  
"Hmmm?" she looked in the same direction Rinko's eyes are looking to and saw a guy hanging, rope around his neck. Sayako sighed. "How lame..."  
"Scary..." Maria and Rinko shuddered.  
"Let's go, greet him." Sayako said, still not scared as the three of them strolled to. It was then that she noticed that guy doesn't has any scent...as if he's not there. Maria and Rinko are hiding from her back. "Quit it, you two."  
"B-but..." they fidgeted when Sayako touched him.  
"See? Eh?" _He really seems like non-existent...he just felt like a wind. _She looked up and saw the guy's bloody eyes; she gasped in horror and surprise when he held her hand.  
Click!  
"That's perfect!" Rinko exclaimed, laughing and put back the camera in her bag.  
"First time seeing you like that!" said Maria as she laughs with the other.  
"E-enough!" Her blood rushed faster, a vein on her temple arched up as a faint tint of pink tainted her cream cheeks. Sayako struggled and let her hand go.  
"Let's go. There's the exit." and they followed her, Rinko was still snickering.  
Maria took a last glance back - "Eh?" - and was surprised to see the guy gone.

"Where are they?" Jole asked. Only Sayako's group hasn't arrived in the cafe yet. Aside from them there are others who are in the cafe too. They decorated their room in a Gothic style and they even wore Gothic dresses. Rina was cuddling the bear and in the other table, Raito was reading his book with the reading glasses Jin gave him.  
"They're coming soon," Fuyumi replied and took a sip of her tea that Jole just served.  
Later, the door slid open and the last group came in. Rinko, as she was before, still snickering. Sayako almost lost her control and wanted to smack her. As for Maria...well...still thinking of the guy's sudden disappearance.  
"What happened to you?" Jole asked as she led them to their table. They sat down. "I was expecting you'd arrive here first." _Mainly because Ri-chan would get hungry and also...because...Sa-chan won't be able to stand her.  
"_I got a little later for the snacks because we were in the haunted room." Sayako said. "And I'm with these wimps."  
"Oh...?" Maria smirked at her, which is the very first time for her. Sayako winced as she felt chills run down her spine. _Just what exactly happened to Maria today?_  
"Sa-chan," Rinko called her.  
"Hn?  
"That guy was right by your side, ne?"  
"Guy?" Jole interfere. She hasn't left yet to take their orders.  
"Yeah." Rinko answered. "A guy in the haunted room looked like he committed suicide."  
"So?" Sayako glared at her. "Just try to show it and you're dead." Maria smirked wider, snickering.  
"Look." She gave the camera to Sayako. She gasped. Maria stopped and proceeded to look at the taken picture too. Jole gave them a suspicious look.  
"How did that..." Maria clutched on her jeans. "He's just like a shadow now."  
"Is he...a real thing?" Rinko asked them, wide-eyed.  
"Onee-chan!" a girl's voice called out. Jole turned to its direction a saw her sister running towards them. "What's taking you long?"  
"Err...they said they saw a hanging guy in the haunted room..."  
"Oh! That?" she suddenly cheered up. The four of them gave her a questioning look. "There was once a janitor here who lost his family in an accident." The three who were previously fooling around became serious as they shuddered.  
"And?" Jole asked, curios. As if she wants to see it for herself.  
"He hung himself in the auditorium." her words sent a pang to the three's ears, their heart beats throbbing wildly. "So, it's cleared? Go get their orders, onee-chan!" and she walked away.  
"Ri-chan! Sa-chan! Ma-chan!" she enthusiastically looked at each one of them. They paled and sulked knowing what she's about to- "Let's go there!" -ask.  
"NO WAY IN HELL!" they exclaimed at her, glaring, much to her surprise. They were enough to scare her.  
_He felt like wind...smelled like nothing..._Sayako thought, her face turning paler, if possible.  
_He was suddenly gone..._Maria dropped her face on her palms.  
_He barely appeared...in the camera..._Rinko said over and over again though there's no voice coming out as she she took the camera back.  
"Perhaps..." Maria's voice slightly trembled. "You should just delete that...that must be cursed..."

"Rui, I think that's too much." Akira said as he looks at the said guy. He's in the haunted room with Rui laughing, catching his breath.  
"I-it's just okay! She won't know! They believed we're in the university!" he said, again, for the umpteenth time since they got there, as he rolls on the floor. Akira sweat dropped at him. "That's just an illusion spell, anyway..."  
_You'll be dead if she knew._

[at the school festival~horror experience]


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 05


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 06

"Yes, yes." The raven said, nodding a couple times with her blank face and apathetic voice. "Wakarimashitta." and she hung up then looked at the brunette before her.  
"They've set the surveillance cameras already." the brunette said as they paced in stealth mode. "Where was the another squad assigned?"  
"No where in particular. Just near this university." an involuntary chill crept down her spine. "We must made sure the students would be safe."  
"They'll watch from their assigned place, right?"  
"Yeah. That's why aniki set them in the most suspicious places."  
"Don't you think it's noticeable by the woods?" she paused and grabbed the others wrist.  
"No. We're used to this already. Why worry, Fuyumi?" she raised an inquiring eyebrow.  
"I'm not worried." she shook her head in denial. "Let's go back to our room now. Like before, they'll monitor the places twenty-four/seven...so I'm not worrying." Rinko nodded though she wasn't expecting for the brunette to see that in the dark and they continued their pace.

* * *

"Isn't it weird that Sa-chan's not here with us?" Rina asked them. Jole has the same thinking face as her as the others shrugged except from Maria. It's Monday again. The slayer's investigation haven't made any more steps yet and the missing students are increasing. Fuyumi's worried of that but as Rui told her they'll work better.  
"I think it's for the sports fest." Maria said. Everyone in their usual table. including Fuyumi, looked at her. "She was informed that by the sports club itself."  
"I see." Jole said as she tapped her right hand on her left palm. "She'll play badminton, no?"  
"Yeah, she will." said Maria.  
"So, that's why she was bringing a racquet around." Sylvon confirmed.  
"Eh? She was?" Rinko joined their conversation after she finished her lunch, pouting. "I did not notice that! Mou~! That bakemono-baachan is really secretive~!"  
"That's because you were sleeping the whole class hours!" they all complained at her as colors from her face drained with guilt.  
"O-okay..." she barely uttered.  
"Anyway, Sylvon, you'll play badminton too, right?" Rina asked, looking at him. He nodded in reply.  
"Well...Maria will play too, you know?" Sylvon told them and the rest of the others directed their attention to the said girl who got uncomfortable.  
"Errr...Sylvon-kun and I are in singles while Sa-chan and Khana-san will play doubles."  
"Sugoi~!" Rinko said in awe. "I'll see that old monster playing sports! That'll be interesting..." and a mischievous laugh followed her naughty line. 09275655679  
"You better not butt yourself in, Ri-chan." Maria warned in a low threatened voice. "She's pretty serious with badminton. You might really get yourself killed this time." but all they heard was the continuation of her laugh...still with malice.  
"That alone won't stop her." said Rina and Sylvon with a heavy sigh.  
"It just thrilled her more." added Fuyumi, sweatdropping.  
"What would you expect?" Jole murmured to them, careful not to be heard by Rinko who's daydreaming of the 'monster'. "It's Rinko Harume, the one whose hobbies are eating, sleeping and teasing, that we're talking about." they nodded in agreement.  
"Ne, ne, minna-san," Rinko called them, they looked at her. She's still in daze. "Let's look for Sa-chan~!"  
"We don't want don't to get killed." they nonchalantly said with sharp glares.  
"MOU~! It's not like what you think!" she pouted. "We'll just watch her practice! If she's practicing..."  
"She is." Jole said. "Right, Maria?" the questioned girl nodded.  
"She'll concentrate her spare time into practicing. That's how she is."  
"Just, oh! Please! Ri-chan!" Rina slammed her palms on the table and looked at Rinko face-to-face and eye-to-eye. "Don't you do anything that will irritate her!"  
"You'll be digging your own grave this time if you will." Sylvon threatened. The teasing jerk just nodded in reply. Well, there's no other options for her to take.  
They stood up and left after fixing their dishes and taking them to the sink. It weren't that long for Rinko to find her. It has been common to her to be looking for the russet and like a sniffing dog, find her so easily since she kinda memorized the president's often whereabouts such as in some particular parts of the forest where they've been together twice. Her voice chimed in a high pitch when she saw Sayako with Khana and Rui with Akira. Akira's sitting on the bench as Rui stands still with a pair of bottled water drinks and a pair of towels. The raven almost instantly dashed and pounced on him when he glanced at her with open arms.  
"Aniki, why are you two here?" she asked when she looked up and met his face.  
"We're watching them play. Look." he pointed his index finger to the two who are seriously rallying. They are like in a court with their distance from each other with an invisible dividing line that acts as their net.  
"Bakemono-baachan, gambatte~!" she innocently said exactly when her circle of friends got to them. Each one of them shuddered then took a quick glimpse at Sayako who did not even twitched upon hearing Rinko's voice – or if she really heard it. But still, Fuyumi smacked her regardless of Sayako's reaction. "I-itai! Doshita no, Majo-san!?"  
"Baka! We told you not to butt in! If you want to die that much, then don't involve us!" she glared at the hurt girl who automatically caressed her head after getting hit.  
"F-fine..."  
"She's pretty serious, eh?" Maria said as she carefully observed Sayako's smash, which left Khana dumbfounded, giving her the score.  
"S-Sayko-k-kaichou..." Khana stammered as she bent down, her palms resting on her knees, sweating and panting. "You're...really good at this..." she looked up at her only to see the girl also sweating and huffing like her.  
They walked over to the bench where everyone were waiting for them. Akira quickly gave up his seat and let them sit down.  
"You look like you're totally worn out, Sayako-kaichou." Rui said as he gave a bottle of cold water and a clean white towel to each of them. She gave him a faint smile that says thanks as they twisted open the cap and gulped down.

The day went by as normally as the others did. After their dismissal, Akira and Rinko checked the cameras if they're still in place before going to their clubs. Fortunately, it looked like there was no one who noticed them. They placed them in the places where the curtains are closed, in the part of the forest where the pair of students died a year ago, in the faculty, some offices including the chairman's office, which were considered suspicious. They still don't know who are the slayers in the other squad but this night, they'll meet with them. They have discussed that they must meet once or twice a week to have their necessary meetings, and although Rinko was pretty pissed off that another squad had to be sent to aid them since it's the first time for them to take almost a month to complete a mission, she agreed. Currently, they are in the same black cars they used for travel when they arrived, only this time they are paired up differently – Akira with Rinko and Fuyumi with Rui.  
"Onii-sama," she pressed down a button from the armrest of the door and at once, the windows slowly slid down, letting the cool autumn night wind to come in and brush on her skin which was covered with a thin film of sweat since the car's air conditioner had a problem. Rui and the driver in her seat's front did the same. The both of them were just trying to get the right timing to do it since they were the ones who said that there's nothing would change without the cooler. And apparently, their actions proved their thoughts was wrong. Anyways, Fuyumi paid a little attention to it. "All of these things that you're doing...wouldn't they make you the spy of the both sides?" she sharply asked with a worried yet frustrated voice.  
"Straight forward, eh?" he sighed. "I move on my own accord with my own plans and goal. I'm not a spy."  
"But still...! Tell me what you're planning so I'll understand." she frowned as she looked at him. "I know you're capable of taking care of yourself but just because you're a vampire and won't just die easily doesn't mean you won't be in danger! Think of yourse-!"  
"Ojou-sama." the driver interrupted. "Please observe your words."  
"Gomen, Alshein-san...but Onii-sama is...!" she paused. "I mean..." she locked gazes with him. "Don't be reckless. Neither Rinko nor Sayako-san will approve your methods. They are too risky."  
"Fuyumi..." he scartched his temple and rolled his eyes to the passing view outside. "If the driver is not Alshein...my secret is already revealed by now." and sighed  
"I know. The reason I did not hesitated is because it's him." she looked at the back mirror as Alshein also did and caught a smile from the driver who averted back his gaze on the road. "You know why I'm telling you this, right?" she looked back at him.  
"Yeah, but don't overexert yourself with thinking about me. My plans may have failed a few times but I always have another trick up my sleeves." he looked back at her and held her hand. "You don't have to worry that much." and squeezed it. She nodded as she relaxed and the creases melted away. Her heart still pounds in her chest although she's trying hard to calm down as their car later stopped in front of a hotel.  
"I thought they were just near." she said as she thinks about the distance of that hotel from the university.  
"This hotel is the nearest building to the university." Rui explained. "It's in here in the rural area and is a bit far from the forest that surrounds the campus but compared to others, it's the nearest."  
"I bet the signal won't be high enough." she frowned again.  
"They're the latest released devices and with technology nowadays, distance won't be a problem." he got off. After a little pondering, she got off too. The others' car halted right next to theirs and the other pair also got off. The four of them then paced to the hotel's entranced as their Mercedes hurried to the parking lot. Rui showed a badge-like card to the girl by the counter as the other three sat on the couches by the lobby. Their lobby is brightly lit with their chandeliers and is decorated with some jars and vases . Spotting a grand piano by a corner Rinko remember her first confrontation with the very first person she trusted while they are in the middle of a mission: Akishi Sayako.  
_So ridiculous...am I losing myself? What if she's a...no...that can't be. She's far from being a vampire...but...why is it that sometimes, although I really like the kind of person that she is...there's something in me that wails and instructs me to detest every fiber of her being? Is this really...what I feel about her? That can't just come to the surface out of guilt? NO! That's not it...I hate pretending to like someone so...I'm sure it's not like that...so...why is it like that? I'm grateful that we needed to stay there for almost a month although I know that that's the reason of why we're here...but I'm glad I'm able to make that kind of bond with her...no, not just with her but with everyone else. _Sigh. _What's happening with me? Why do I suspect that she's a vampire? Why? - "...ko..." Why? _- "Rinko." _Why? - "_Rinko!" she jerked up and turned to face the calling voice.  
"Fuyumi?" she blinked at her in surprise that she was being called.  
"Let's go." she said and Rinko instantly stood up and paced to the brunette...only to be smacked by her.  
"Nanda!?" she glared at her.  
"For your information, inoshishi, you left your case which contains your weapon on that couch." she said pointing to the said furniture. She skeptically looked at her after a moment and saw that confused look on her face. "Daijobu ka?" she asked on their way to the elevator after the raven took back her case. When Rinko did not reply, she elbowed her with only enough force to wake up an asleep person. Rinko blinked a few times before turning to her with a  
"Huh?" and a look of what-the-hell-is-happening. "W-why?" that question wasn't directed to the other girl but for herself instead. With her tone, Fuyumi felt in an instant that there's something wrong.  
"Focus, Rinko. This isn't the time to be daydreaming about pranks and insults that you will soon throw to Sayako."  
"T-that...not the problem..." she muttered, halting on her tracks. She heard a sharp 'tsk' from the other slayer that made her flinched upon hearing and after a mere second, she was being dragged by the brunette who held her by her arm. "F-Fuyumi?"  
"Will you tell me what is it?" it didn't sound like a question so Rinko did not oblige to answer back with yes or no.  
"I have been confused...I like Sa-chan now...but...It wasn't right. There's something telling me... that she's not...human."  
Surprise.  
Halt.  
Hearts' thumpings.  
They halted and the three looked at her.  
The two cousins frowned as Rui, on the other hand, glares at her with both concern and fear. If she'll find out who Sayako really is at this time, he can't guarantee their safety. If Rinko will try to kill her, Sayako will undoubtedly fight back and without saying a word, the result is already decided. If Rinko won't be just injured, she might die. _  
Might die...  
Might die...  
Might die...  
_Those pair of words resonated in Rui mind for a half minute. If either of them got hurt, that only means he failed. And his failure will most likely result to the death of either one of them..._This matter isn't about my safety anymore...but theirs.  
"_What's with the silence?" confused glances were shot at them by her. Or more specifically...suspecting glances. "I mean...like what Jole always says, she's kinda pretty." she lied. Nevertheless, her accomplices sighed in relief. _Why did they react like that? _Her eyes narrowed into a glare. _Is there anything... they know that I don't?  
"_I was just confused by you, Rinko." Akira said and turned around then started pacing again. Rui did the same and so, they did.  
"Rinko," still not letting go of her arm, she pulled her closer to her and in a very soft voice whispered, "Whatever happens, always think before you act. It doesn't matter if Sayako's a vampire or not...the thing is: she's our friend." she glanced at her. Rinko's expression still hadn't changed but when she met her stone-like gray eyes, she softened her expression and managed to give a smile.  
"Yeah," _I'll try to think like that.._."that's right."_although my reaction would be unpredictable. Even for Rui-aniki.  
_After using the elevator, they arrived at the nineteenth floor of the hotel and turned to right. Rui scanned the corridor and ceased in front of room one hundred ninety five then knocked on the wooden door.  
"Open up, this is the first squad." footsteps were heard from the other side and couples of seconds later, the door swung open.  
"Pleasure to meet you. Are you Rui Chibara, the slayer of the first rank from the headquarters?" a red haired guy inquired. Rui's purple eyes met his obsidian ones as they made eye contact. He seemed to be as old as Rinko and Fuyumi but as strong as him.  
"Yes, pleasure to meet you too." Rui replied as they shook hands. "I assume you are...Lawrence Veildrge of the European branch. Also the first rank there?"  
"Yeah." they parted. Lawrence then gestured to the other three at his back and they paced to them. "Introduce yourselves." he ordered.  
"Zack Roose, slayer of the seventh rank." a blond guy with blue eyes introduced himself. There's a glint in his eyes that Fuyumi did not like. "By my right is Raziel Clark and by my left is Gureth Saftle." the two that he introduced both did not say a word. Fuyumi were pissed off more by their blank expressions. They seemed like aniti-social to her which was proven when Lawrence explained. Rinko's anxiety was gone and she's now paying attention to the most recently introduced slayer. Raziel is a long haired girl and acts more nautical than Gureth, a raven haired guy with brown eyes. Raziel's haired color is in deeper shade than the other blonde's. It's comparable to a corn and it's curled but not in the same curls as Fuyumi's. Hers doesn't seem like it's natural.  
"Harume Rinko." she held out her hand in the air for a hand shake directed to Raziel but the British ignored her. "Drag queen, don't you know what hand shake is?" she teased paying special attention to her clothes which resembles the exact thing she called her as. That caught the blond's attention and she quickly glared at her and gripped her hand tightly.  
"Of course I know." Rinko reciprocated the force exerted by her. The cousins shook their heads in a here-she-goes-again way.  
"Raziel stop that." Lawrence commanded and at once, Raziel let her go. The two exchanged snubs.  
"Um...I'm Chibara Fuyumi, by the way." the brunette took a glimpse of each one of them. Her first impression of them only worsened when Zack smirked at her. "This guy beside me is my cousin, Chibar-"  
"Akira Chibara. In case you don't know, here in Japan we say our last names first. Please pardon these two slipshod for their mista- Ack!" Fuyumi stomped on his foot in the most natural way she can, cutting him off and murmured,  
"How dare you embarrass us...we only forgot."  
"It's getting steamy in here." Rui said, Lawrence and Zack nodded in agreement as they sneaked some glimpse from Akira and Fuyumi to Rinko and Raziel who are having their very own silent arguments.  
"Anyway, let's do what we need to do. We captured some screenshots. We'll discuss that here as we monitor the current status of the university." Lawrence led them inside where they've installed the laptop to which the cameras are connected to. Lawrence commanded Gureth to monitor what's going on in the university as the rest of them discusses the screenshots.  
"Those are..." Rinko uttered in disbelief as she stares at a pair or vampires biting each other. "Why are they doing that? Are they stupid or what?" Akira and Fuyumi looked at her. Fuyumi, at her first glanced, already realized who they can be.  
"They may be lovers or...it's just the way for them to quench their thirst." Rui concluded as he skeptically observes every detail in the other shots.  
"Not that I don't believe you but," Zack stared up at him, his eyes still have the same glint as before that Fuyumi's hair on her forearms stood still. "How did you know? Or is it because you really know?" the two cousins jerked up, eyes wide open, both surprised and nervous of what he said.  
"Zack!" Lawrence hissed at him and looked back at Rui whose expression remained the same. "Tsk!"  
"Zack!" Raziel interfered, glaring at him. "All things about that is supposed to be unknown from them!"  
"It's alright." and he gazed back at the slayer whose under suspicion. "We were given a different mission by our own branch itself. And that is to know _what_ you really are, Rui." he coughed, clearing his voice. "Sorry, I mean Chibara-san. Since Kevin-shacho won't listen to the other branches, we were forced to put you under suspicion." both Lawrence and Raziel snarled at him.  
"Any proof?" Rinko raised a brow at he and he gazed at her. She can barely control herself from smacking his face that she's already trembling in anger. "For you to say that, you should have at least one proof! Or you're merely insulting aniki!"  
"Ten years ago he joined the organization and since then, he never seemed to age." he returned her glare when she gasped and gazed to Rui. "Is that enough?"  
"Ten years...ago?"  
Silence.  
Click, click, click...  
...only the clicking from the laptop and,  
tick-tock, tick-tock, the tickings of the wall clock are being heard aside from their heart bearts.  
Then,with a shudder, Rinko sadistically chuckled.  
"B-but he never tried to bite me, did he!?"  
"Oh...sorry, we forgot." Zack smirked again. This time Akira shuddered together with Fuyumi and though there's an air conditioner, they broke in sweats. "You're often their target meal. So, would you like to prick your finger and simply tempt him with your blood?"  
A flinch from Rinko;  
A hiss from Rui.  
"This isn't right at all!" Fuyumi exclaimed as she stood up and reached her rod under her skirt but was stopped by Akira's sweaty cold hands as he strongly immobilized her.  
"This is nonsense." he said as he wobbly stood up. "With this problem, we can't cooperate with you. If you won't mind, I suggest we'll just continue this next week." Rui nodded as he stood up.  
"Sorry for the inconvenience but we have our own mission." Lawrence said and stood up then led the three outside. When Rinko was about to leave he held her hand.  
"What is it?" she glowered at him after yanking back her hand.  
"The president and I discussed this before. Zack is always like that. So, in case you knew, Kevin-shacho told me to tell you to phone him as soon as possible. He'll explain and then give you another mission."  
"I understand...but don't think that I trust you. I do have my own mind and I'll do whatever I think that I must." she left without averting her glare from him at the very last minute.

[The new comers]


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 07


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 07


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 07


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 07


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

_"I'm just...not yet used with the sunlight." at that moment, Sylvon and Rina tensed. Fuyumi's right behind him, plastic cups of lemonades in her hands. He knows that she heard and remembering what Sayako told them, he stood, defensively. He then pulled the strings from his clothes.  
"I don't plan to fight you." Fuyumi said, stopping him. "As you can see, I've left my weapon."  
"Whether you've brought it or not, you're still a slayer." he said, his eyes reddening. "You'll kill us if not now then in some other time when we're not alert."  
"If that's true, then why are you still alive?" she asked them blankly. "We're in a festival, we should be enjoying."  
"Don't change the topic." he hissed at her. "Slayers kill us as soon as they found out that we're-"  
"I did not kill onii-sama." Rina looked up at her, Sylvon was surprised. "Nor Sayako-san."  
"Y-you knew!?" he took a step back, a feeling of dread rising up from his gut. It's not for him...but for the said lord. "But you-"  
"If you'll let Rina stay under the sun for long, she'll lose it." she paced to her although she tried to escape when she held her hand. He tried to get her away but Rina gazed at him, telling him to trust the slayer for this moment. "I know your nature. That's why I'm here not as a slayer but your friend." they led her under the shades. Rina calmed down.  
"You know...our nature?" Rina asked, it's the same thing that Sylvon wanted to say so payed more attention to the brunette than he already has.  
"You would die if your heart or head was taken. Or if ever sunlight touched you. You'll turn to ashes if you're not old enough. If you manage to survive, you'll lose your sanity and crave for blood more." she looked at them, it's well said. "The minimum year for you to be considered 'adult' is a hundred years."  
"Who...told you that?" Sylvon asked, mesmerized by the girl's knowledge about them. "Who's that onii-sama?"  
"Rui-oniisama." she answered; they gasped.  
"T-that slayer!?" they grasped at her unison as their eyes are turning red.  
"Easy, easy!" she slowly pushed them. "Mind your eyes..." they relaxed, not averting their eyes from her. Their eyes returned to normal.  
"He concealed himself." Sylvon muttered to Rina.  
_The autumn is nearing its end and it's becoming cooler every passing day signaling the coming of winter. Sayako walks out of the building heading back for their dorm, being followed by Rinko, Fuyumi and Maria. The four of them are being watched by the them from the windows of their classroom with keen and suspicious red eyes. They looked at each other and chuckled, their eyes went back to their usual color. They stopped, bringing back the dreaded silence of thinking.  
"Should we tell her?" Sylvon asked. "Sayako-sama's still not aware of that Fuyumi knowing her identity."  
"If we won't it would be considered as betrayal...eh?" Rina answered with another inquiry. "If we will, we'll make things more complicated than it may seem. We might break the bonds that are forming between them resulting to a misunderstanding...or maybe even worse."  
"We'll just stay silent...and wait for them to know those things by themselves." he made up his mid and turned his back after grasping his book bag. "That way...maybe it'll be better."

"Sa-chan~!" Rinko called as she entered their classroom, her eyes wandering for a little bit as she search for the said girl and resting when she found her, sitting on her seat while reading. She quickly strolled to her but halted when Sayako looked up with a glare. She suddenly felt chills when she saw the other's eyes. They are in the way they are usually in but there's some kind of pissed off aura coming from them. It's still their lunch break but Sayako quickly finished her meal and hurried back to their room. _It's probably the reason why the whole class was idle and quiet.  
"_What do you want?" she asked, slightly being able to brighten her mood up.  
"Did you see the new post on the bulletin by the room of the drama club?" she cheerfully said. "A Halloween party will be held his coming Thursday! October 31!"  
"So?" she raised an eyebrow at the raven, putting her infamous book down her desk. "Have you forgotten that 'real thing' last Saturday?" they heard someone snickering and Maria came in from the back door. Her snickers turned to laughters when Rinko joined her. They stopped, catching their breath.  
"...I thought we _are _the wimps!" Maria said, patting Sayako's shoulder. The russet snarled at the two of them when she got what she was talking about. Rinko smirked.  
"Ne, obaa-san~." she sat on her own chair but turned, facing her. "You can be a scary yurei...an old yurei." she teased emphasizing the word 'old' and got some glares. When she turned around, giving an opening for her, the vampire pulled her hair, causing the slayer to shout in pain. Maria giggled at them. With her right hand still entangled with the raven's hair as she pulls them, she gave the damphyr a what-happened-to-her look. _She's always utterly quiet. Is it because of this aho? _She loosened her grip, and Rinko sighed in relief but gasped when Sayako grasped more strands of her hair.  
"You'll be grim reaper, clear?" she blankly said. "Or some gruesome zombie. That suits you." the raven caressed her abused scalp when Sayako finally let go. Fuyumi entered and sat beside Rinko, on her seat, not minding their on-going conversation until-  
"And Fu-chan will obviously be a witch with an old rod or-"  
Smack.  
"Who told you I'm going to that party, inoshishi?" Now, the raven's problem isn't just her scalp but her head itself. Then, they exchanged glares. "I won't go to that stupid party." she glanced at Sayako. "And I presume, Sa-chan also won't."  
Maria and Rinko gasped, realizing the truth when they heard a "hmmp" from the president who returned to reading. They whined and pleaded to her, pretending to be crying every now and then. Sayako was slowly getting pissed off by them. It only worsened when Jole went in. Hearing that the 'most popular' student won't come with them, she also whined. Sayako's effort to threaten them were lost in vain when Rina and Sylvon joined them. She eventually said, "Yes, fine! I'll come!" abruptly just to shut them up which flattered herself. And because of that, Fuyumi also gave up, knowing that Sayako already did.  
"Yatta~!" Jole, Rinko, Maria and Rina cheered up in unison. "Success! There're convinced!" the two who were mentioned sighed_. It's hard to keep up your composure and patience around these people. _They thought.  
"Sa-chan will be a doll!" Jole exclaimed, and the other three stared at her then took three steps back. "E-eh? Doushite? Isn't that cute?"  
"That would be...HARD." Maria and Rina said, striking her ears. Jole pouted at them then glanced at Rinko.  
"W-what?" she asked, Jole stepped closer to her.  
"What do you think?" she stepped closer again, eyes gleaming like a puppy's. "N-ne?"  
"Well..." Rinko glimpsed at Sayako but quickly averted her eyes. Even she can't keep up an eye contact with the russet at a time like this. "T-that would be...nice..." Jole cheered up. "But scary." _I mean...her being a doll would be alright but...I just can't imagine her wearing a Gothic dress or something. Angering her to that extent would be dangerous. _and returned to being gloomy again. She paced to Sayako who ignored her.  
"Onegaishimasu...Sa-chan?" she pleaded.  
"Don't try convincing me on that part." she growled. Jole shuddered. "I _most certainly _won't be a doll."  
"Why not?" Rinko suddenly popped up beside her that Sayako jerked in surprise. _Well...yeah. I think that would be cute, though.  
"_Dolls can be scary." she muttered, covering her face with the book. Fuyumi glanced at her and snickered. Jole and Rinko looked at Fuyumi then back at Sayako. They smirked. Fuyumi's damn talent is on.  
"Sa-chan's being embarrassed." Fuyumi said, still snickering.  
"Eh?" Jole and Rinko continued to stare at Sayako.  
"Majo...urusai..." Sayako threatened, glaring at her behind the book with an eerie voice that made the two hide behind Fuyumi.  
"S-Sa-chan?" Rinko barely uttered. Sayako put her book down and glared at her, dreadfully. The three of them shuddered. "There's nothing w-wrong i-if you'll tell u-us why you don't like...d-dolls? Ne?"  
"Aho..." they shuddered again when the student council president stood up, slamming her hands on her desk. But she calmed down, a slight blush on her face. "Nii-chan...once told me...dolls will choke you to death in your sleep."  
Silence.  
Snickers.  
Then their snickers turned to laughters.  
"Stop laughing!" Sayako roared at them, her light blush deepening.

The much awaited day of the week: Thursday.  
They are preparing themselves inside the drama club room. Others' costumes are provided by the club. As Rinko said, Fuyumi dressed up as a witch-  
"No. She looks closer to a necromancer with that staff and puppet book" Rinko said. The girls squealed when they saw Rui and Akira as vampires...like in the piece of paper of the witch while Jole wears a costume near to _Alice in wonderland's-  
"_It's not Alice in wonderland. It's _Malice _in _Horror!_" Jole whined. Rinko – no matter how uncomfortable she is in a gown – wears a ghostly bride costume. When Rui and Akira neared her, she was in a daze again. The memory of the 'piece of paper' is still carved in her mind that she forgot her grudge against the bloodsucking beings. This made the two guys shudder since they know how _perverted _this girl can be.  
Although hesitantly, Rina dressed in a nurse costume with blood splattered on it. She matches Sylvon's who's in a bloody-chef costume. Instead of scaring the gang, it just brought loud laughters and teasing when they saw the butcher knife he personally made. They became louder when Jin, who's in a gorilla costume, butted in with a zombie – who's actually Raito – in tow.  
"Well...he's addicted with zombies..." Rina commented in a low grumble from a corner, she was actually scared or...surprised. She was caught off guard.  
Eventually, their noise became louder and Sayako came out in a gothic red and black dress. She wears a small hat and a pair of white stockings in black high boots. Her hair was curled making her looks like a realistic horror-doll especially with the cosmetics - that makes the half of her face looks like decaying - Jole applied. She, as a doll, was emphasized with the realistic baby zombie puppet. She thought they would scream or shriek, terrified, with the silence that followed...which was broken when Rinko laughed loudly at her.  
"Urusai, aho!" she hissed, her words not that clear through her gritted teeth. "...Or I'll curse you...!"  
"Sleep with him, 'kay?" she stopped laughing. Her voice became serious yet still teasing. "He'll choke you to death!"  
"Urusai!" all of the others exclaimed at her. Looking at Sayako right now will not be a help. With that costume, although the dress suits her, she's scarier than she used to be.

"Geez..." Sayako sighed. She and her cousin are having their time spent on chatting with each other while sitting on their chairs and sipping their drinks on their table.  
The best session of the party was the choosing of the 'best in costume' this year. Jole was in the third place. Two second years on the following places and a third year for the best one. Sayako was supposed to be the 'best in costume' with her decayed face and puppet but she was one of the judges.  
"What are you sighing about?" Rui asked.  
"Well...I shouldn't have told them about what Kairo-niichan told me." she explained, sipping her juice. "They're more annoying now.  
"You still remember what he told you?"  
"Of course," she gazed at him, it's not a glare but somehow, Rui felt a bit of sadness in her eyes. "I won't forget them. So they can still live in my memories."  
"Hmmm." he uttered, staring back at her. "He was with you even at your childhood."  
"We weren't related...otoo-sama adopted him." she rested her face on her arms, giving no care to the decaying-looking cosmetics which might become distorted. "He died...when you came, you were still a child..."  
"What's with the serious tone?" he chuckled. "He protected us."  
"He didn't have to. He's just a human...I was eighteen and you were ten at that time, right?" it's not really question so Rui didn't bother to answer. "He was early twenty or so...I failed to protect him. I must be the one who did what he did."  
"Stop this talk. I don't like your remorseful tone." Sayako looked up to him. She's not crying though the tears are collecting in her eyes, waiting to fall from a corner...but she held back. "Anyway, there's no classes tomorrow, right?"  
"Yeah." she leaned back on her chair, her coolness and composure back.  
"We're gonna visit _her _village. That's where everyone were buried." he flashed a smile. "Want to come?"  
"We aren't that close. Why would I? I'm not an intruder or a gossip." she laughed to herself. It's not a joyful one, mocking instead. "Humans are lucky to have a corpse when they die, ne?"  
"Don't be like that. You're being ironic."  
"Ironic?" she paused for a while, waiting for him to explain but he didn't. "Yeah. People say they're alright when they aren't. They laugh when in reality, they want to cry out loud. Ironic isn't the perfect word. Perhaps 'crazy'."  
"Yako-oneechan..." he held her hand, she looked back at him. "I'll be with you forever. I won't leave you alone."  
"Stop calling onee-chan." a grunt escaped her lips as she took back her hand, a light pink color spread across her face. Watching Rinko and the others have fun made her think of the slayer's very own sadness. "You appear older than me now. It makes me think I'm really old. Plus, it doesn't suit you. It's like you're being a child." he chuckled; she giggled.  
What she just said makes sense. It's upsetting that you don't have a grave for your loved ones...since they don't have a corpse that needs to be buried to decay to begin with. Yet, they're pretending they're happy. They were just interrupted when a drunken Rinko grabbed them. They ended up as players of the stupid game. Their small circle composed of Jole, Rina, Jin, Sylvon, Khana, Raito, Maria, Akira and Fuyumi and of course, Rinko. And momentarily, they forgot the gapping hole in their memories.  
"The game's rules are simple." Jole started to explain as she placed a bottle at the center of their circle. "The one who'll spin that bottle will do whatever that's written inside these paper." she took a fish bowl with rolled close papers inside. Then she grabbed a bottle of whiskey from her back. "If you won't, you'll just have to drink a shot."  
"Sounds fun." Rui said, flashing a bright and wide grin. Sayako glared at each one of them. The others aside from Jole seemed a little drunk.  
"I refuse." she said, standing up. Rinko bit her ankle causing her to squeal then stumble on the floor. The slayer's bite marks are deep although there are no blood gushing out. Sayako snarled at her, gripping her hair and pulling them like she wants to turn her bald.  
"Bakemono-baachan looks really scary!" Rinko patted Sayako's shoulder as she dizzily slumped against her. Sayako tried to shove her away but Rui snickered at them. She glared at him.  
"Congrats, you have another nickname." he teased.  
"Che!" she snapped, anger in her tone as a pulsing vein appeared on her forehead and temple. "Why don't you help me get this aho off me, annoying brat!?" reluctantly, Rinko touched Sayako's temple and caressed it. "What are you doing!?" she smacked her head. Rinko giggled and then laughed and lunged herself to Sayako again.  
"Hello there, Angry Vein-chan~!" she whined, trying to reach Sayako's forehead which is hard since Sayako's pushing her away. Their circle of friends around them started a throaty laugh. "MOU~! You're such a killjoy! Let me play with her~!"  
"What vein!?" she smacked her away. "You want me to let you play with my _forehead!? _Are you crazy???" she tried to reach the bottled in the center to use it on her so she'll just faint and shut up but Rina quickly snatched it.  
"She's drunk." Rina informed her. "Be more patient." Sayako twitched then sent Rinko another glare.  
"STOP LAUGHING!!! IT'S NOT FUNNY AT ALL!!!"  
_Ri-chan's probably dead by now if looks can kill. Err...well...that's pretty possible with Sa-chan... _Rina thought nervously. _Ah...I'll just buy lilies for her grave if Sa-chan can't really control herself...  
"_Bakemono-baachan!!! Don't get in my way with my cute Angry Vein-chan~!"  
"What's cute with a vein?" Maria thought...out loud. Rinko directed a glare in her direction.  
"It's squishy, you know~!" and she averted her eyes back to the _vein. _"You probably don't know how to play with a water balloon that you guys think like that~!" they sweatdropped...and shuddered when they looked at Sayako. She looked like an antagonist in a horror film as she glares at Rinko with evil laughs. It worsened when she played with the baby zombie puppet. She's surrounded with murderous intent now. Rui can't help but to stare at the two of them. He knows that if he'll get in between he'll just be the first one who'll see what heaven is like.  
"J-Jole.." Sylvon slowly turned to face Jole. "It's better to stop this game now...she's drunk and t-there...that's what-"  
"Wait, wait." Fuyumi interrupted in a low voice. "A-are you saying it's our fault she's drunk?"  
"Precisely, yes."  
"For your information..." she exhaled, she's been holding her breath since they took a dreaded glimpsed at Sayako. "She was also like that before...not doing the consequences; Just drinking on purpose."  
"Y-you mean..." Rina butted in and gulped. "We most likely might get beaten into a pulp because...she's drunk and is pissing Sa-chan off...b-because she wanted to?" Fuyumi nodded.  
"Guys, you know..." Khana joined in, can't take the tensed air anymore and really needs to share what little information she'll tell. "Sa-chan has three options when she's out of temper..." all of them looked at her. There's a chilling depressed aura fuming from her.  
"And...they are...?"  
"1)Electrocute." she enumerated. "With that, she'll be paralyzed for her whole life. 2) kill. Well...she might still be alive...with only machines supporting her. And 3)...last but not the least...curse. She might haunt her for life...believe me...it's the thing you won't want to get. You might just die on your own with that."  
Silence. They looked at the two...  
They're wrestling with each other. "For the sake of Angry Vein-chan~!!!" Rinko shouted a battle cry.  
"Rui...I think you should stop them now...or...Rinko will go to the other world a little bit early..." Akira suggested. The other group stared at him. By other group that means, Khana's problematic group. There are actually three groups, divided by invisible lines...Rinko and Sayako are in solitude right now, considering in what situation they are in.  
"HONOU-SAN!" Maria jumped to him, if Rui didn't dodge her, she might have knocked him off on the floor. "If you still want Ri-chan to live...STOP THEM NOW IN AN INSTANT!"

two hours later...

Sayako, Rui and Akira are panting heavily. At last, Rinko dozed off...too drunk to stay awake. The problematic group stares at them, sweaty and trembling. Sayako struggled from Rui's grip and got freed. No one will blame him...she's strong after all...being the antagonist of this _the ring_-like horror film she's – no, no! I mean the vampire lord of this stupid vampire story, she's the most powerful one in their gang.  
"All of you..." she said in a low intimidating, eerie, ghostly voice. "If that crazy-stupid-mental-hospital-run-away-aho got near to me again...within fifty meters radius...I'LL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET A TEN-WHEELED TRUCK AND RUN OVER HER THREE TIMES!!! I SWEAR!!!"  
_Bang!  
_She left, stomping all the way to the door...which she didn't forget to slam hard.  
"Ouch..." Rui said. "The door broke down on the floor..."  
"And the wall cracked..." everybody said.  
They gulped, although their throats are dry...and sighed in relief.  
"Sa-chan...has a s-short t-t-t-temper...ne?" Fuyumi absentmindedly said.  
"I don't think she has that temper you're talking about." Akira said.

[Their crazy Halloween party]


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Rui carried Rinko to their room, although he's pretty drunk too. So Sayako guided his pace that he won't bump to a wall and injure himself or Rinko. Or the both of them. About her horrific side...it's gone now...she has cooled down and had forgotten her most recent threat.  
When Rinko was laid down on her bed, Akira who was a bit drunk too went back with him to their dorm. The raven was too fast asleep that she didn't even bother to change.  
Sayako saw an opening at this. She leaned down on her and started trying to read her mind.  
_A black haired toddler walks on the slightly damped soil of the playground. Her hair was kept in pigtails and a stuffed bunny is in her arms. The rain just stopped and the sun is slowly greeting the ground below but no matter how excited she is, as soon as she reached her destination, she halted. And then, stared at a girl on the swing. She's a pretty one with russet hair and autumnal brown eyes - that shines even with confusion. She looked at her, glaring, trying to scare her off so she'll run away from...she wants to be alone. But the toddler didn't. She just continued staring at her with innocent blue eyes.  
"Won't you run away?" the pretty girl asked, resting her hand on top of the toddler's head.  
"Why would I run?" the girl asked back in her high-pitch child voice. "You're not doing anything bad."  
"Hmmp...you can only say that because you still don't know me..." the lady said in a hurt voice with a pained expression. "You might die soon...with my power...with my hands..." the toddler just turned her head to one side like she's a bewildered cat, exactly not understanding a single word from what she said.  
"_What...was that?" Sayako broke from her mind. She realized she was leaning too close. She was too absorbed with what she saw...in this slayer's mind. Since she saw herself. "...that wasn't a dream...nor her thoughts..." _Part of her memories...? Fate...so this is how playful you can get...? Is there any conspiracy between you and Rui...? _She chuckled. Coincidence or not, this girl was still brought here by him.

* * *

_Argg...hungover, eh? My head feels like...like it'll split into halves. _Rinko stood up, holding her head as she feels the throbbing pain with her blood rushing and ranging, hurting like hell. She walked ever so slowly, trying to balance herself and make her blurry and spinning vision a little better. She headed to the door of the bathroom. It's locked. "The hell..." she cursed. "Who's in there?" she hissed in a rude manner. As pissed as she is now, she might have shouted if she didn't warn herself. She knows the pain will worsen; she knows from a lot of experience. The door opened and Sayako came out, pissed off as well as she looked and walked pass by her. The president was rude...well she was too so she didn't mind. She went in and slammed the door – not caring how Sayako will react – to at least express herself but only caused more pain, which she was avoiding. She cursed again. Trying to build a shell of numbness, she hurried to the sink, brushed her teeth and washed her face. Quickly, she went out. Luckily, there's no Sayako who'll shout at her for what she did just a full five minutes ago - she already left.  
She then undressed herself and quickly slipped into some casual clothes. She'll take a bath later and after she got some pain reliever from the clinic. She didn't hurry too since there's no classes anyway. And she left their room, not forgetting her stupid case for her bow - which will make her look like an idiot since there's no club activities today - hell, today is a holiday. _For anyone who'll ask me of why I brought my case, I'll be prepared to break a face! _She threatened beforehand. _If they'll be any vampire right now, I'll reduce him to nothingness. Not even ashes like they usually become! I'm really pissed off right now...with this familiar pain! I know, those monsters really don't have any morals at all but at least...may they possess some fear of death...!_Her own voice in her mind slightly threatened her. But she's serious about it. If ever that's possible.  
Pace, pace, pace...silence, silence, silence.  
Poke.  
"I don't wanna talk with anyone right no-!" she snarled, turning around to see who it is. And saw Sayako and Fuyumi. "Eh?" she suddenly cooled down with unknown reason, yet the pain is still there so she winced a bit.  
"Here." Fuyumi handed her a small bottle of pills, the pain reliever she's been dying to get just to give herself a little relief from what seemed like forever. "I knew you'll be like that so I hurried to the clinic when I woke up. I met Sa-chan along my way so we came back here together. You look worse than I've imagined." she was only answered with a grunt from the raven.  
"That's what you get from drinking too much." Sayako calmly said, not minding the murderous aura around the suffering slayer. "Wine is good for the body. It's okay to drink but not when you got drunk."  
"Don't lecture me...early in the morning," she said, a small flash of a delusion of her grandmother appeared in her mind. _She said the same thing, too_. _At the last festival we were together..._"Obaa-san..." with her expression, they knew that wasn't for the vampire lord. Sayako knows that, especially. She read her mind again, trying to get luck on her side but when Rinko's expression hardened, she was forced out.  
"Don't start a fight." Sayako snapped, pretending not to know to whom this aho was really talking to. "Let's go the cafeteria and get you a glass water for that medicine." and they headed there. After taking a couple of pills, Rinko was back to her cheerful self..._the fake her, that is. _Fuyumi thought. Sayako left, saying she'll get back to their room and take a bath first, they agreed.  
The silence that came almost killed them. It's quiet enough for the ticking of the wall clock and chirping of the birds to take over and be the only sounds present for this while. Even the staffs are gone. Actually, it's a miracle to have the cafeteria open at this time in the morning. Surely, it's the day where students would be with their family to visit the graves of their loved ones.  
Sooner or later the chairs in the area would be occupied by some other students and staffs if the dinning hall isn't open yet with food. They both know they have to do something to being that infamous silence...but all they did was to wait for each other to say a word...waiting, waiting, until they both got tired of the thing they attempted to do.  
"Umm-" they said at the same time as they gazed up to each other.  
"You go first." Rinko said, leaning back with her forehands under her head. Fuyumi didn't argue with that.  
"Will we...err...go? _There?" _she whispered the last word. Rinko didn't move an inch from her current position nor said anything so the brunette assumed she did not quite hear her. She was about to repeat when Rinko inhaled sharply then deeply exhaled.  
"I _won't _go there." Fuyumi's eyes widened at that. The raven never missed a chance to go there and pray for them. But now, she's the one who _refused _to go. "We're in the middle of a mission."  
"Are you saying that _this stupid _mission worths more than them?" she growled at her. Even without looking at her, the raven knows the brunette is getting irritated.  
"That's not my point." she finally explained. "I've always think that death...is but a fleeting moment...that it's a natural phenomenon...so when they all died in an instant...I can't think about anything. I didn't know how to react. The reason of why I was sulking was...I _hated _myself for thinking so low about life." she paused...then thought, _is this just fine? If I'll tell her this...she'll see right through me...well...I trust her...I really do...but-  
"_Then?" Fuyumi interrupted her thoughts. Her tone isn't that angered now since she got her best friend to talk.  
"I did not fear death a single bit. I was always thinking that everyone would die. But...at that time...I was..._desperately _scared. Not for my life, though. But for theirs...I didn't want them to protect me in exchange for their lives. Otoo-san tried to run as far as his feet can go just to let us escape...but it was still in vain. When I visit them...I'm thinking of how our future would have been if only that time was just a dream...a gruesome nightmare. But it wasn't." she paused again, thinking of whether to continue or not. She continued, "I'm looking forward for the future." she stretch an arm in the arm as if there's something she wants to reach as she watches it with her gleaming sky-like eyes. "I have an ambition I want to grasp with my hands." Fuyumi frowned, knowing what that 'ambition' is. "I can't live locked up in the past. I have to keep moving on. That's why...every mission that's being assigned to me...I want to complete it...each mission is a step to the future I want...to my ambition." then she clenched her hand into a fist like she just grasped something.  
"Fine, fine." Fuyumi stood up, the sound of her chair being dragged backwards echoed in the empty cafeteria. "I got it. Let's go back. You feel better now?"  
"Yep!" she flashed a sun-kissed smile at her.

Buttoning up his polo, he waits for Rui to finish bathing. It wasn't a good morning. Although Rui got no hungover, he did. He just drank a little then there...it hurts. Or perhaps it's little for him. Anyway, he already took some pain reliever. He's better now. But...well...the day itself still isn't.  
"Ready?" he heard Rui said from behind him. He turned around. The ex-human only wears that small towel around his waist. The water that hasn't dried off yet glisters as the sunlight strikes him. "You should hurry up."  
"Say that to yourself." and he left, slipped out their room. Rui quickly clothed himself and followed him.

Rinko and Fuyumi were done bathing and getting ready. They didn't seem to be going out that day. Sayako wore her casual clothes but isn't really going either. They laid back on their beds until they heard a knock on their door. Fuyumi got up and opened it.  
"Onii-sama?" she uttered as she let the two inside.  
"Aren't you going?" Rui asked as he looks at Rinko. Fuyumi tiptoed that she'll reach his ear and whispered,  
"She doesn't want to go. We're in the middle of a mission, she said." and she retracted back to her feet. "She already explained to me why, don't worry."  
"So," Akira said by Rui's side, frowning. "we'll just do _that_ today?" the two nodded. He snarled but said nothing. As soon as the four of them left, Sayako sat up, still pondering of why she's in that slayer's mind.

They separated into four location, thinking it would be faster that way. Rui's checking the faculty rooms, Akira in the classrooms, Fuyumi sneaking in some offices and Rinko searching for more informations in the library. It took them some minutes before they broke in the rooms since it's still morning so they're locked. It wasn't long before the students gathered up at the dinning halls in both dorms. By that, they were granted more opportunity and space to gather intelligence. By noon, the students left with their families although most did not and just stayed.  
Rui entered the third year faculty room when he suddenly halted, noticing a familiar scent.  
"Why are you doing this?" the girl asked. "Honou-san?" he turned and saw Maria standing behind him with tearful worried eyes.  
"I need to." was all he said.  
"Don't you trust Sayako-sama!?" she stepped closer to him scanning his purple eyes. He looked down.  
"That's not it...I trust her but..." he looked back at her and shook his head. "Your ability is being restraint. right?" she jerked up, startled by the truth but immediately glared at him.  
"I know." she braced herself, as if there's something hurting her. "But shouldn't you...stay loyal to her?"  
"I am...that's why I'm worried to those who are not. They might suddenly let her down. You can't warn her like you used to." Maria looked up at him almost crying. "I want to do something for her, too."  
"Understood. Just...be sure you'll stay who you are." he smiled at her, she smiled back. "She won't say it but...she needs you." he nodded.

Pacing along a hallway that leads to where the raven is as she thinks about the slayer's memory, pisses her off. She attempted to sleep but she can't. There's something more from what she saw...that would explain why at their first meeting, when that aho bumped against her, her scent was quite familiar. For her to remember it even a little bit like that, the girl must have messed with her before. If not, then what could it be? That's for her to find out now so even knowing that the slayer is in the middle of investigation she still wanted to go after her and read her mind. _I'll clear this, once and for all. _She thought as she pushed the double doors of the library and walked, nearing the raven who's sitting on a corner with a load of books and newspapers around her with every step.  
"What are you doing?" she asked, pretending not to know. Rinko seemed to ignore her considering her eyes which are only focused on the text printed on a book. "There's no classes." she raised her voice so that the other will hear her clearer.  
"Researching." she honestly answered without looking up.  
"Researching what?" the sound of the chair beside the raven being dragged back as Sayako sat down echoed in the dead silence of the library.  
"It's none of your business, you don't need to know." was all her reply. She glanced at her. "Oh...that vein again, eh?" Sayako winced and moved back away from her with the chair. "Why did you back away?" she sweatdropped.  
"You don't remember anything? About last night?"  
"Hn? Did something happen?" Sayako sighed. She glared at her. "What?"  
"I guess you're an aho after all."  
"What!?" she stood up, investigation and research forgotten.  
"Nothing." she stood up too. "Anyway, it's already afternoon. You haven't eaten anything yet, have you?" Rinko nodded, her stomach groaned. Sayako turned her back and walked to the door with the raven following her. They headed to the canteen and Sayako ordered each of them a medium-sized ramen.  
"What happened to you?" Rinko asked, slurping the noodles. "You're weird. You treated me a ramen.  
"Hn?" Sayako looked at her.  
"It's like you change. Is there anything you want?" Sayako choked at that. She _did _want to _know_ something. "Figures." Sayako gulped down her tea.  
"It's not like that. Why would I want something from _you?"_she glared.  
"Then why? Don't tell me you suddenly turned to a princess or something." Sayako raised an eyebrow. The raven finished her ramen...then almost immediately laughed. "I get it!"  
"HUH?"  
"This is beauty and the beast!"  
"What beauty and the beast are you talking about?" her lips curled shut as she waited for the slayer to stop laughing.  
"Ah...ah...no, gomen. I'm wrong." a question mark popped up from Sayako's head, astray in the air. _She's the weird one. _She was about to ask her when Rinko burst into laughter again after slurping and slamming her bowl on the table. "It's not beauty and the beast. It's beauty IS the beast!!!" she teased, emphasizing the linking verb. Sayako tried not to get annoyed...but to no avail.  
She stood up, leaving the canteen.  
"I haven't paid yet. Just pay those bowls down." Rinko fumed in frustration at the vampire's statement. Actually, that's a lie. She paid their lunch already...she just said that for the heck of her infamous pay-back-time.

"Chotto matte kudasai, Sa-chan!!!" she shouted, running along the unoccupied corridor of the first floor. "I paid already!" she panted as she caught up with her. Sayako looked at her with a smirk of satisfaction.  
"You. Paid. Already?" she asked with an equal stress to each word. "Good."  
"Yep! I paid my bowl!" she flashed a toothy grin at her. Sayako's smirk flattened into a thin line as she frowned.  
"Aho." she said as she walked away. _It's not revenge at all. She just paid her own lunch. _Rinko paced faster.  
"Disappointed, eh?" Rinko teased as she bent and looked at Sayako from a lower perspective. "I didn't treat you because you didn't too~!" _when I stupidly thought you did. _She inwardly frowned.  
"Wakatta, wakatta!" waving her hand like a napkin, she gave off an exasperated sigh.  
"But if you'll promise to me that you'll treat me next time, then I'll pay that ramen for you." Sayako stopped her pace, smirking. But to Rinko's disappointment when she thought she's already winning, she continued to walk, thinking it's a bad thing to make a promise with a whiny fool. And besides, she still have a self-assigned task to do.  
"Want to take a stroll?" she gently asked. "In the same place as before?"  
"Same place?" she pondered for a while and then remembered where they talked – for the first time and probably the last – calmly a few weeks ago. "Sure! I like that place!"  
Sayako absentmindedly grinned a genuine smile and led her out the school building. They later came to the similar place where there are the autumn trees, although it's a different part of the forest. Seeing a bench just under a tree, she skipped to it and sat down. Sayako stared at her childish grin before walking and sitting down before her.  
"By this time you should be taking your naps." she heard a grunt from Rinko who flinched at what she said although she said it calmly without a teasing tone.  
"R-right." Sayako turned her back to her as she took a book from her skirt's pocket and then, started reading. It did not take long before she caught Rinko's attention. "What's that?"  
"A book." her tone was blunt, clearly irritating for the other.  
"What title, I mean?" she babbled, pouting.  
"_Chicken soup." _answered she blankly.  
"Huwaaahh~!" Rinko beamed in delight, her eyes glistering as she tried to snatch the book, but immediately failed when Sayako dodged. "Oi,oi~! Share that with me! That's a _cook book, _ne~?"  
Sayako rolled her eyes. "_Chicken soup for the soul." _she cleared, emphasizing the last three words. "It's an inspiratinonal book with a hundred and one stories, baka." and Rinko's hopes dropped down, back to her normal self as Sayako returned to reading.  
There was a minute of silence until the raven curled into a ball, rested her head between her knees and leaned on Sayako's back. It was really silent. All she could hear were their breathings as the president's heart's steadily beats to her ear that's pressed on her.  
When the minutes passed and Sayako assumed the other is peacefully asleep, she slowly turned and let the girl lean on her chest so that she won't be uncomfortable and occasionally wake up, ruining her plan. As the cool autumn wind breezed, – sending the brown and orange leaves on the ground – she concentrated, closing her eyes and let her mind wander into the other's.  
_"Won't you run away?" the pretty girl asked, resting her hand on top of the toddler's head.  
"Why would I run?" the girl asked back in her high-pitch child voice. "You're not doing anything bad."  
"Hmmp...you can only say that because you still don't know me..." the lady said in a hurt voice with a pained expression. "You might die soon...with my power...with my hands..." the toddler just turned her head to one side like she's a bewildered cat, exactly not understanding a single word from what she said.  
"Um...nee-chan..." the toddler sheepishly muttered. "I just wanna know...why are you always in here?"  
Sayako blinked several times before she figured out what the girl is talking about. Without even realizing it, she'd been wandering in that place with her wayward thoughts for days...or maybe weeks. She doesn't know. She's not counting the days...she won't. What does a week or two mean for someone who's immortal, anyway? If she'll keep tracks of the days it would make no sense.  
"I've been just...confused. There are a lot of things for me to shoulder. I don't think I can bear them." _without _him_..._"You know...they want me to kill a whole race...they crave for it. And I admit, I want that too...but...I can't quite decide...okaa-sama have been one of them before...she was kind...I don't know if my judgment would be right...It's hard since they all have great expections of me..." _with my own experience...they're counting on me... _"It's like...I'm being torn apart..." she said, showing a weaker side of herself. There's no need to put up a tough front in front of a human child.  
"N-nee-chan..." the girl muttered sitting down and trying to take a look at her pretty face since she can't when standing because the lady bowed_ – _yeah, she did, without even noticing as the girl did so. "I-I don't understand." Hearing that, the lady started chuckling in a croaky voice...that's when she realized she's almost crying. There's no tears, though. She had enough that it seemed like there's no more tears left. Then she looked at the girl who winced when she rested on her hand on the toddler's head again.  
"Of course! Y-you're just...a-an innocent child..." _too naive...silly me! Why am I telling this to a child!?  
_"Sou ka!" the toddler beamed that she almost raised a questioning eyebrow. "Those bad guys asked you to kill!" the pretty lady flinched at hearing the word 'kill' and suddenly became afraid that she had scared the child...but looking at her expression glued on her face proves that she had the wrong idea. "B-by killing..." although she quivered at that. "It means you're hurting others, ne? Then...don't hurt the innocents!"  
It suddenly became still as the lady stared at her with surprised tearful eyes which shines beautifully making the girl faintly blush. "Err...nee-chan? Isn't that...right?" the stranger laughed at her that she pouted.  
"Then...what about the ones who aren't innocents?" she paused in laughing to give the girl some time to think, though she's not expecting much. Seeing like it's uncomfortable for the girl to have her hand on her head, she took it back. "Is it just fine to ki-...hurt them?" she continued, disguising the forbidden word that might scare the girl as the word she thought it really means. There's another silence again as the girl fiddles with her hair, pondering deeply. Sayako was close to sighing when the girl looked up to her again, brightly smiling even though, there are some lines on her forehead as she frowns, worriedly.  
"Um...if you can talk with them...make up with them so no one will be hurt..." the pretty stranger laughed again, muffling the girl's hair instead of just placing her hand on her heads like she did a while ago. "Is that also wrong?" the girl asked, worrying more.  
"N-no!" her reply made the toddler's worrying lines disappeared and showed the pretty lady a whole new smiling face. "But..." _really naive! _she stopped laughing and stood up, worrying the girl again. "That's not easy."  
"Where are you going?" the girl stood up too, following the her when she seemed to be leaving. _S-she did not like my answer! Doshii yo!?  
_"I'm going back." she smiled at the girl when she looked over her shoulder.  
"To...umm...your home?"  
"Y-yes." she hesitantly answered. _That place isn't my home...it's a plain _house._  
_"Will you...come back tomorrow?" she asked then cheerfully said, "Let's play!" the beauty sat before her and muffled her hair again making the girl's face bright with hope.  
"I'm sorry...but," she sighed. "I won't be coming back again."  
"EHHH~? D-d-doushite?" she gasped, stammering. "Is it b-b-because of m-m-my answer???"  
"I need to go back. I've got a solution to my problem now." she tried to give a reassuring smile but failed with the lines on her forehead from her frown. But the child still brightened up.  
"Honto ka? Ureshi!" she smiled. "I wanted to play with nee-chan...since she's so pretty...almost inhuman..." the beauty sweatdropped at that. She's not human. "B-but I'm glad I've helped you~!" then smiled wider. The pretty stranger smiled back, genuinely like a fully bloomed rose that for once, was free from thorns.  
_Sayako blinked twice and stared at the sleeping slayer. Her eyes narrowed at the peaceful sight. _You were innocent...but not anymore...you're so easy to kill...not just hurt. _She thought, snaking her hand around on her neck and pressing two fingers on her pressure points just under each side of her jaw, feeling the rush of her blood under the tender flesh. Her eyes reddened at the thought...

[red spider lily~forgotten memories]


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 07


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Akira-aniki...you're not hiding anything from me, are you?" the raven asked, staring at the scenery along the road, her blank expression contrasted to her thoughts that were swirling in her mind since they left the hotel. Her confusion earlier only worsened with the sudden outburst of Zack. Akira bit his lip then glared at her. She didn't seem to be thinking about anything but he knows well how good this girl is in hiding her emotions, in making a facade that covers her intents.  
Like their first arrival at the university, mist covers the road and the willows are again, ghastly in appearance. But the raven paid no attention to the scenery that she seems to be watching.  
"If I am, what is it to you?" he caught her attention as she jerked up and sharply turned to face him. "This is the first time you glared at me." despite the same tone in his voice, anger presented itself in the snarl that followed.  
"That's because you seem to be guilty. You did not answer my question. Are you hiding anything?" he clenched his teeth together. "Don't lie."  
"No, I'm not. None of us is hiding anything." he averted his gaze to the moistened glass window. "Why are you doubting us?"  
"Because you're suspicions. I mean, your reactions. You looked horrified." Akira gulped but his throat was too parched. He bit his tougue, hoping Rinko would stop her interrogation soon. And she did as the infamous silence settled itself between them. With that and their thoughts intact, surprise overtook them when they arrived at the same place when their cars first halted. Realizing they've already arrived, they both got off. The car left with the other soon after the other pair got off too.  
"We'll continue the investigation tomorrow." Rui said as Akira and he paced to the direction of their dorm building. After mere seconds, the other two pushed the double doors and hurried to their room, leaving the guards-in-charge to lock them.  
"Rinko," Fuyumi tried to start a conversation as at first, she thought would fail when she glanced at Rinko's expressionless face, which she concluded is a the feeble facade she always puts up.  
"Hn?" the raven replied without much interest.  
"I-it's good that we arrived before the curfew...ne?" her eyebrows connected as she frowned when the other girl did not say any response. "You're still at it?" stone eyes met gem ones.  
"How old is Rui-aniki?" she finally asked. "He can't be twenty like he seems to be, can he? Surely you know it...since you are siblings."  
"H-he is...wait. What is this talk really for?" No response. Even if Fuyumi was having a second thought in shutting up, she clasped her lips tightly closed together and did not dare to say anything that would make the raven remember even a bit regarding their meeting with the European branch's slayers.  
"If you don't want say anything," Fuyumi's forehead furrowed as she saw the shadows over Rinko's face. "It's fine by me." she said after they entered their room. Without any pause, she headed to the bathroom and closed its door behind her unhesitatingly and grabbed her phone from her shoulder bag then called to the president's line. The throbbing of her heart started as soon as she heard the dial tone from the phone. "This is Rinko." she said when it stopped before the person from the other line say a single word.  
"Want do you want? It's almost quarter past ten." the voice said in a sleepy tone.  
"You know want I want." from her tone, Kevin instantly knew what it's about and fully woke up. "What is that secret mission you're about to give me? Lawrence-san said you're not listening to the other branches' advice. But the fact that you have another mission to give means you're also doubting Rui-aniki."  
"You don't need to be so interrogative. It's true I didn't listen to the other branches but it's different now." he paused when she heard someone talked to him in the background. It was a long pause. She can't hear what they're talking about since Kevin placed his fingers over the trasiver "Sorry, that was just an acquaintance of mine. I ordered Lawrence not to tell this to anyone since this might alert him, and if it will, it'll be harder to catch him. To make it more complicated, we can assume he'll use Akira and Fuyumi as hostages. But in our last meeting, I was convinced that he's suspicious."  
"And you want me to confirm it?" her voice was like a knife which stabbed his ear that he almost bled. "If you really want me to keep this as a secret then send me someone else who can cope and investigate with me..." she hissed. "You know how dangerous this double mission can be."  
"Yeah, I do. I'll send someone there as soon as possible."  
"Just to remind you...I still don't believe that Rui-aniki is one of _them._ I'll take this investigation to prove to you that he's innocent." she hung up, not minding what the president might be thinking.

* * *

Rays of sunlight lit the sky up as morning approached. They haven't said a word towards each other since that Monday. Zen headed to the dinning hall earlier than them and so, the awkward silence became more fatal.  
For sure, the organization won't keep quiet about that. They'll make a step to see through him. Having Rinko with them only made it more complicated. The girl's got an obsession towards vampires. An obsession that made her kill every single one they've encountered. If the president Kevin didn't adopt her it wouldn't be that difficult for them to handle this kind of situation. If she didn't believe that Kevin, she wouldn't be a threat to them.  
"Rui." Akira muttered under his caught breath. He didn't want to break the silence himself but if he'll keep it, there won't be anything solved. "Why don't you tell this to that Sayako?"  
"No need." he replied as he clothed himself with his shirt. "I'll handle this myself." the only thing he next felt was a stinging pain in his gut after Akira thrust his first at him. With an irritated hiss, he grabbed his collar and stared at his gem-like eyes. He glares at him with the same glint he had before when he pointed his silver gun at him for the first and the last time.  
"Why don't you punch be back, huh!? I hate that composure of yours! Even when I tried to kill you...that calm face never gave a _real -!"_  
"What?" he absentmindedly asked as he stared back to the other's bright eyes with his clouded ones. "I can do this alone." he rolled his eyes to his side as he tried to avoid Akira's gaze. Seeing no changes in him, Akira decided to let him go. But even after he did, Rui did not look at him.  
"Do I need to remind you myself of why are here?" Silence. No response. "You did all you can you to end up here and change both Sayako, your cousin, and Rinko, the girl who you saved and treated as a younger sister. Don't tell me you're giving up just because of their suspicions?"  
"She doesn't trust me anymore." he looked down, frowning.  
"If you'll be as weak as you are now, without second thought, you'll really die. This isn't like you, Rui." he tightly clutched his hands into fists that his nails are digging on his flesh as his knuckles become white. "Do you need to be beaten up before you go back to yourself?" Rui looked at him and walked pass him. Akira was about to thrust a punch again when Rui glanced at him over his shoulder with his bright purple orbs and his usual smile on his lips.  
"I understand. I'll tell this to Akishi-dono myself. Let's go." in a split second, before Akira could even blink an eye, he's there by the door ready to leave. If his smile was genuine or a part of a carefully-made-facade, he doesn't know and he don't want to know. It'll be better to believe at Rui at times like this – times when trusted companions can be your worst enemy.

The gushing of the water from the faucet echoes in the bathroom as she leans on the sink, face blank with no emotion despite her clouded mind. Just this earlier, she was able to read that raven's mind. She knows why. Rinko was pretty confused last night – and still _is_ – about the conflicts between her very own acquaintances and her brother – as she thinks about Rui. She knew her thoughts at once and without delay nor warning...or even permission from her own self, she got worried about her only _trustworthy_ cousin. As they all know, Rui's a spider who can easily untangle complicated web-like situations but since Maria's ability isn't back on it's perfect condition, she can't be too confident with what the ex-human may be planning. But she also knows that she can't decide carefree decisions based on what the damphyr saw or will see since their future is always tentative depending on what results can come from the different thoughts of the people surrounding them.  
She raised her head to face her reflection in the mirror before her and gasped when she realized her eyes looked almost crying. She never let herself tear up again. Or more specifically, she can't do it at all as her tears may have dried up after the long decades since the last time her eyes were filled with the subjected free-flowing liquid._ "Crying isn't showing your weakness..." _she remembered her mother's saying and although she thought that voice was lost with the passed time, it sounded as if it's real...that she guessed she's insane with having such delusion. _"When you cry, be always sure you'll be stronger after it."_  
"Okaa-sama..." her lips tightened to a hard line as she lowed her head again after halfheartedly closing the faucet when she hesitated with the thought that it's better with a little piece of noise in the dead silence she plunged herself in. _"When I cease existing," _a low velvet voice of a male resurfaced in her mind. She was confused of whose it is at first but when she remembers more of the words, she instantly knew- "_it doesn't mean I'll leave you. I'll be blown in the wind as ashes...I'll be the air you breathe to exist."_-It's her father's. Sayako sighed and face the mirror again. She must analyze their situation first then think about it. There's no place for acting as a university student right now.  
"Keep standing...S-Sayako..." she spoke to herself. She doesn't know why, but she thinks she's really going crazy as she winced upon uttering her own name. It has been a habit for her to talk to herself when there's a lot of problems she either encountered or will encounter.  
Just then, she jolted up when she heard some knockings on the door. Before going out, – worrying she'll look sobbing – she checked herself from the mirror and fortunately, she regained her serous and calm self back after she twisted the faucet open, splashed a handful of water to her face and closed it afterwards as she wipes her face with a towel.  
She then sighed and then relaxed as she opened the door. The lady damphyr of imperfect visions stands before her, forehead creased with their rare worried lines. Being able to read her mind, the vampire lord immediately knew what bothers her – they have the same dilemma. She, gifted with mind reading ability, and her, seeing imperfect tentative visions, both know what can happen – or already happening.  
"You've seen it, haven't you?" the russet asked as she walked passes her with her eyes hidden in the shadows of her hair. In these kinds of situation, it's more favorable to have it down in its wavy nature. Without taking a pause, she grabbed her bag and slipped out of the room, not even bothering to look back at Maria, as she knows she'll follow.  
And she did, with longer strides than usual to match Sayako's hastened up ones.  
"Right. I saw it." Maria responded, pursing her lips for a pause as she hesitates whether she'll continue or not. She decided the latter. "I saw Honou-san in danger because of a particular slayer." Maria heard a muted groan from Sayako at that and halted pacing with that frown, which hasn't leave her forehead for even a second. "It wasn't clear who the slayer will be...but...most importantly, I saw you so affected by it." Sayako stopped in her tracks and glanced back at Maria, glowering with a combination of snarls and a pair of clenched fists. Although the damphyr did not voiced it more explicitly, she knew what she meant at her attempt to read her mind for the second time at that very moment – she saw her in that bathroom, questioning everything as she frets about the current situation they're both concerned. "It can't be helped. Unless that slayer would change his mind..."

No one from the vampire lord and the slayers uttered a word in the class to each other. Maria, Sylvon and Rina were all worried with them as they noticed their avoidance. What's weirder is Rinko's rather enthusiastic in writing the whole time. Her lids did not fall even for a minute of rest that Shira hasn't complained about her like she usually does. Unlike before, she didn't pick on Sayako; or Sayako with her. Fuyumi knows there's really something wrong and that's surely about what happened last night. Jole, who's also affected by them, got too quiet. But, if not for her, Rinko's _not _with them right now in the crowded canteen.  
"Ri-chan," she said, as the first one in their table who spoke, to Rinko when the raven finished her _feeble _lunch in a nick of time. "Tell me what's wrong." her tone is unusually serious.  
"There's nothing wrong~!" she grinned at her and turned her back to leave but Jole gripped her wrist.  
"I don't need a _fake _smile." she blankly said. Rinko snatched her hand back as her she pursed her lips; the blank expression on her face went back again.  
"Please, don't mind me." and she left, not caring what their reaction would be.  
Jole hissed and stood up then left as well.  
It wasn't long before Sayako and Maria did the same.  
"What happened?" Rina inquired as she glares at Fuyumi. Sylvon opened his mouth to warn her but it's too late; her confusion mixed up with anger made her lose control and she involuntarily crashed the glass that she's gripping. Blood gushed out as the splinters rip through her flesh. Though the wounds healed up, she still winced from the stinging pain.  
"They jerked." Fuyumi looked around then, at her. "That scent might cause a trouble. Besides, _many _could hear in this place."  
"In classroom then." Sylvon said, breaking their eye contact. "They did not go there, I suppose."

_She was so determined now. I can't read her again. _The lady of valor thought as she walks slowly. If it won't be that risky, she'd try harder to infiltrate her mind. But as a human, it might be fatal for the slayer. _If Maria's ability isn't being restraint..._She glanced at her back and the damphyr's there, pondering on their situation as she walks slower than Sayako..._it won't be like this. Kuso..._"Tsk!" _this must be the doings of oji-san! If I can only get some evidences...I can banish him from being one of the elders...  
"_Sayako-sama." Maria's voice cut her thoughts off. She blinked and focused. Rui's right beside her, as serious as all of them are. She paced towards him and without any thoughts, embraced him tightly that he and Maria gasped; this is rare of her.(KYAAAAAHHHH!!!! RUYAKO MOMENT!!!! XDDDDDD)  
"Can I hold you like this?" she asked as she tightened her arms of prison around him. He put his hand on her head and muffled it. She chuckled. "Don't treat me like a child."  
"Is this a farewell?" she gulped at his question as his heart thumped. She clutched at his shirt and glanced up at him.  
"Rui..." she took as step back and let him go. But she grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers together in a swift motion. "Don't say that...! You and I are-"  
"I might still die." he muttered so low that no human would be able to hear him. His eyebrows pulled together as he stole a glimpse from Maria. Although he was careful, as a half vampire, she caught his gaze.  
"I don't deserve that kind of expectations from the both of you." she said. "My visions aren't perfect." they both look at her and nodded once, hesitantly.

"Our blood tastes like water and smells like wind." Sylvon said as he licked Rina's fingers. "It would just taste different with the one you like." he stood still after they're already blood-free. "Like for an example, Rina's is bland."  
"Really?" the brunette crossed her arms together. "So...I was mistaken there in the canteen. But, aren't you lovers?"  
"What?" Rina's perfect eyebrows pulled together in an abruptly angered look but instantly softened. "We're best friends. We aren't anything like that." she rolled her eyes to Sylvon and they both sighed.  
They're just the ones present in their rooms, as Sylvon said, since the others who left before them didn't go there even for a second. Now they understand why. It's awkwardly quiet in contrary to their rocking classroom without their usual noise. It's harder to breathe in there with the heavy, tensed, cold atmosphere that almost kills them – not by suffocation but by depression. Anyways, the two mythic beings won't die as easily as Fuyumi would without air to breathe; it's not even required for them to live.  
"But I saw you bitting each other from some screen shots taken with our surveillance cameras."  
"You said what!" she scowled at her and was about to slash her with the wind but was just stopped by Sylvon's hand that he tapped on her shoulder. She completely ignored the fact that about their bites. "You putted some hidden cameras here?" she continued in a calmer tone.  
"Yeah. We've been here for almost a month that our organization sent another squad. We can't help but to cooperate."  
"So, you're being squeezed in the middle? How about that Rui?" the guy coughed as he sat on the nearest chair to him. "What did he say?"  
"Nothing much but as we – except from Rinko – planned, we'll do our best so that no one from the newly-arrived-squad will know that the majority of the students in here are vampires." With a cold scowl, she focused her attention in a corner and tried hard not to look at their eyes, which now resemble couples of red roses. "He's...c-currently..." and bit her tongue as she remembers the scenes last night. "Being suspected as a vampire..." by that, she half-irritatedly, half-worriedly glanced at them and noticed a pair of cringes from the two as their eyes grew redder. "Rinko was confused last night. She's probably seeking for some sneaky methods where she'll know the truth by herself. And...I guess, in however way Sayako did it, she knew it that's why they weren't talking to each other..." Rina shut her eyes and breathed out.  
"I heard she can read minds." she informed her, and like a bulb with its switch being turned on, Fuyumi jolted and brightly looked at her.  
"You mean...we could know what Rinko's thinking about at this moment with her-"  
"Stop." Sylvon interrupted with a grimace. "Don't expect too much. Sayako-sama said it doesn't always work."  
Silence.  
"Unless...she'll get stronger with...a human's blood." they cringed at their last resolve.  
Just then, Rina and Sylvon jerked when they realized there's another one who heard them; but, before they could react, the familiar _human _spoke,  
"Can I be that human?"  
Jole entered; they gasped with wide eyes. Sylvon and Rina poised themselves in defensive positions as she paced, nearing them with each dumbfounding steps.

[doubts~stumbling stones]


	15. omake 1

Chapter 07


	16. omake 2

Chapter 07


	17. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

If there would be one thing they'd wish that never happened, that is the fact that their human friend heard their little conference. The silence that followed was prolonged as no one in them dared to speak. Sylvon and Rina were shocked. Their nonexistent fears suddenly rosed up; proudly presenting itself. Fuyumi broke to sweats. If it were just possible, she either melted away with the silence or reduced to dust like how the vampires ceased to live. Jole, however, is just staring at them, unblinking. It was like she wasn't the one in their front; she never have been so serious before. Rina gritted her teeth and broke her eye contact with the weird Jole before them. She just wanted to faint and collapse right there and then wake up to see everything was just a fearful, deathly nightmare – but it isn't.  
"What did you silence up for?" Jole asked as she sat by the chair near her. "I know everything so there's no reason for you to be all so worked up." their eyes widened except Fuyumi's. _This thing seemed like that time, no?_ "From the first week of September, I knew it when I heard Khana-san and Sayako-san talking about their problem. They were worried about the yearbooks that time."  
"Yearbooks?" Fuyumi interefered as she remembered the main problem in their investigation. "What do you mean?"  
"The yearbooks contain some details about them in the previous years. Of course they can't let anyone see it. When I heard them, they wanted to erase my memories but I refused, saying that I won't spill the secret and hide those books properly." she explained. "They won't prove anything but the fact that this university is a place of vampires. You don't have to look for them." Fuyumi bit down her lip. _So, this girl knows it all along?_ Fuyumi thought. "I was nervous so I forced myself to act as cheerful as I can. It's hard to make friends so I wanted to use their small trust at me to gain that unripe friendship."  
"I see." Rina said. Both her and Sylvon relaxed now. "That's why you were so weird back then."  
"Anyway, as I have proposed, I can give my blood to her. I know it's necessary." they jerked.  
"NO!" Fuyumi exclaimed. "You don't know what you're saying!" her expression is duplicated on the others' faces.  
"I won't be killed! I trust her!"  
"That's not her point." Sylvon glared at Jole. "Sayako-sama isn't a normal vampire. She's the vampire lord. And as the vampire lord, in just matter of time after a bite from her, anyone will die from her venom. If it's not death, then you'll become a vampire, despite her will."  
"But if she'll control it-"  
"There's no way that ability can be controlled!" Rina hissed at her, "Don't insist on being stupid! You have no idea how being like us is!" Sylvon gripped her wrist.  
"Calm down." he commanded her. Rina looked at him and forcibly relaxed then snatched back her hand. "You're still with your sanity, right? If yes, then you still know what _prohibited _means. Then, you'll stop thinking like that 'cause I prohibit you to. You might just make the things worse." Jole glanced at them and just replied with a silent nod.

* * *

"Sa-chan!!!" although still confused, the lady turned to the familiar voice but she could even reply, the girl who called her is already about to fall after a pounce and sent the both of them on the floor. "I told you last night that I'll go together with you to the dining hall! How dare you leave me behind~! WARUI!!!" she whined as Sayako's blood heated and the infamous vein on her forehead popped up.  
"I must be fallen asleep already t that time..." she said as they stood up; Rinko continues to smile at her. Seeing that foolish grin in her face, Sayako hooked her right arm around the raven's neck and in a fleeting moment, Rinko's gasping for air as the other girl chokes her. "really...THERE'S NO NEED TO POUNCE ON ME, YOU STUPID, CHILDISH, AHO!!!" despite her anger, she let her go easily after she noticed the necessity for air of the girl.  
"I...I...just w-wanted to catch up to you...f-faster..." she stammered, gasping. "Sorry about yesterday." Sayako was a bit surprised to hear her apologize when she recovered and got a bit serious.  
"Why are you apologizing?" she started to pace towards the direction heading to the dinning hall; Rinko followed her.  
"I was stupidly avoiding and ignoring everyone." she exhaled deeply. "Including you." shadows cast themselves upon her eyes when she loooked down, concealing them from the other girl's gaze.  
"Really? You did?" Sayako asked that Rinko's eyes widened and she immediately looked at her. "I didn't notice...up until now..."  
"Wha-!" Rinko stopped in her tracks and blocked Sayako, blushing as she pouts at her. _So, I was just pondering on what she might think for nothing!? _"W-what do you mean by that!? So, you really don't care about me?" she squeezed her eyes close when Sayako placed her face on her head.  
"Aho, you didn't let me finish." Rinko gazed at her eyes as Sayako stepped closer to her, so close that she could already see herself in them. "It's not like I didn't miss teasing you." In that moment, her pout was replaced with a smile.  
"Eh? EH!? HONTO KA!?" irritated by the closeness, Rinko stepped back.  
"I know saying I did not will annoy you." she said smugly. Rinko stared at her, scowling. Sayako nodded slightly and they continued their pace. Can't contemplate with her questions alone anymore, Sayako sighed.  
"Rinko," the raven blinked several times at the sudden use of her first name. "Who is...Rui for you?"  
They both halted.  
Silence.  
Sayako looked back at her to know what the question's effect was but only see the blank expression from the contemplating face of the slayer. She tried to read her mind but failed when a strong aura from the depths of her mind blocked – which was her unwavering determination. She furrowed at her.  
"Aniki is _my _aniki." she faintly smiled. "It's as simple as that." she hurried ahead of her. Before she was out of Sayako's sight, the vampire lord was able to take a small glimpse from her mind. _'That's why...I must prove that he's innocent.'_

After having their breakfast from the dinning hall, they headed to the classes building and as soon as the bell rang, their classes started. In either relief or confusion, Rina, Sylvon, Maria, Jole and Fuyumi sighed as their friend returned to her normal enthusiasm. However, Sayako is still relentless about the fact that she was able to read a bit of her mind earlier. That only happens when Rinko's strength drops. She knows that the slayer is truly determined to investigate deeper now as that determination strengthened more.  
But-  
"HARUME-SAN!!! WAKE UP!!!"-as expected when she'll return to _normal, everything_ would return to normal...just like how she sleeps and how Shira-sensei gets pissed of her. (AN: LOL. :)) )  
Shira was about to rant again when someone knocked on the door and halted her up. She narrowed her eyes in disappointment and hurriedly slid it open. "What do you-! Oh, gomen..." he stepped back with a heavy flush on her face. "Err...class...we have a new student..._yet again..._" because of the presence of the other professor beside the door with the new guy, she exasperatedly whispered her last two words with a snarl.  
"Sorry for the trouble, Shira-san." said the professor after giving her a note. "Please take good care of him." he beamed off a smile at her, which she consistently ignored, then he left her with the new student who in turn went inside. Both irritated and surprised gasps came from both Rinko – who was almost automatically fully-awoken by then – and Fuyumi. Shira went back to her desk as the guy started to right his name on the board, introducing his name.  
"Veildrge, Lawrence." he said his name uninterestedly. "I may be foreigner to you since I'm from London but I hope I'll get with you well." after Shira instructed him, he motioned to the blank seat and sat there, staring at Rinko even from the start.  
_I'm doing my part as good as I can. Why is he here? What's with that look of his!? _The raven voicelessly mumbled, shooting him death glares in return for his stares.

Their lunch break was unusually early when it was announced that the sports festival will be celebrated that day because of some minor changes in the schedules of the school such as the upcoming election of the Parents-Teachers-Administration also known as PTA on this coming Friday. The activity time for the clubs is postponed as they have decided the whole thing. At last, Rinko had finished her loads of works and her thesis, too, although she considers it as unnecessary since she has _other _things to do. As the aho that she is, she just recently knew that Sayako's club is Kendo and she's with Rui for the past few days in the past weeks, and if not for the rules of the fest she would definitely not get aware of it. The sports club decided that, unlike in the last year, if the clubs the students are in are related to sports, then they are not allowed to participate in that same sport in the whole fest. That's why Sayako will play badminton in spite of being in Kendo club.  
"Rina-san," said Rinko as she peered from the corner of her eyes as the girl dresses up herself. It was a little awkward for all of _them _to be in the locker room all at once especially for Sayako who was in a pure haste in getting her racket ready. "Do you think Sa-chan can be related to anacondas?" Sayako's ears twitched at hearing her name.  
"Huh? Anacondas?" Rina crooked an inquiring brow at her.  
"Her name and the snake's name sounds almost the same." Rina pulled her brows together in confusion. "Sayakonda, right?" hearing that, the subjected damsel roughly pulled her hair towards her in the raven's dismay as she grunts, "ITAI!!!!"  
"You won't like to disappoint me right now, really." she threatened the other but Rinko sarcastically smiled at her, either intending to tease her or just because she can't hide the intense nervousness she feels every time Sayako shows her that expression. Despite the heavy air, however, Rinko still managed to put back herself together and just then, noticed that Sayako had tied her hair in a wavy ponytail. Out of frustration, Sayako stomped her way out of the locker room as Rinko caresses her stretched scalp.  
"If I were you," said Maria behind her in a low nervous voice, "I won't get into her nerves this day...she was _a bit annoyed _yesterday that she doubts herself right now since she thinks she lacks practice." the two looked back on the damsel's tracks. It's _more than _obvious when she walked cracking the tiles of the floor. All three of them shivered.  
"If she won't be an anaconda then she's a T-rex." Rina and Maria gave her questioning looks. "Well...her canine teeth...looked longer and sharper than normal..." her two chat mates stared at her, astounded. "What?"  
They shook their heads as they turned pale.  
They then leaned on the lockers.  
_Does she know what she's saying? _Rina thought.  
_God, thanks for her dumbness..._Maria pondered repeatedly.  
In an _innocent _(innocent!?) way, she turned her head to one side, not understanding why they reacted the way they did.

_Of all the thing they would talk about, why me? _Lawrence mumbled to himself as he ties his shoelace in their locker room. The chatters in the background were too loud. Some words are already distorted with the slangs and because they talk like hell, he can barely pick up as they are being jumbled up but he's pretty sure as they gossip like girls it's all about him. _Anyways, I would definitely not participate in this kind of thing. I still have to-  
_"Lawrence-san!!!" a particular guy near him shouted his name. It's unexpected so he didn't have time to cover his ears. It almost ripped his ears and shook off his senses. "What sport are you going to join?"  
"I won't-!" was his only reply when the guy tugged him along.  
"Seeing your clothes, you are surely going to join basketballk, aren't you? LET'S GO!!!"

"I heard from Fuyumi that that _bastard_ came here." Akira stated as he gritted his teeth together in displeasure from the happenings of the events. None of them expected that to happen. That leader of the other squad suddenly joined them in the investigation. But Rinko was probably aching with anticipation yesterday since she seemed to be in a hurry to investigate more in that university's campus.  
"It's getting more complicated by every second, isn't it?" Rui asked behind him in a worried manner. Akira faced him and they nodded in unison. Rui suddenly looked up to Akira and a smile slowly crept upon his lips. "BUT, it's not like we're not allowed to enjoy this event, right?" Akira shot a glare at his smiling face. They are in a MINDBREAKING situation and he can STILL show him that kind of expression!? "It was decided by the author that this will be the last one, after all!" he beamed at him with a toothy smile and suddenly dragged the refusing guy along him, ignoring every word from his protests.

By the swimming pool, Fuyumi and Jole are deeply thinking the things back and forth, from the past happenings up to the present event. They seemed to be having a dilemma by how their face contorted and they foreheads furrowed. They would even _'tsk' _and _'hn' _at some circumstances. It may be something about their previous topic but then, Jole started to croak then bursted laughing.  
"Fuyumi," they looked at each other, eye to eye. "I can't believe this is happening to us."  
"Me, too." they sat down. "It was so...so..."  
"CRAZY." they bursted laughing together in a louder manner. "SO, this is the last chapter where we will have our relaxed times???"  
"Yeah, yeah. Ne, do you still remember the thing in the past CHAPTERS???" they quieted down for a while while they contemplated. Then abruptly snickered at each other.  
"I still can remember the arguments Sa-chan and Ri-chan are always having!" Fuyumi stared at her and rolled her eyes to her side.  
"No one can forget that thing...it ALWAYS happens." they started laughing again.  
"And Ri-chan and you, too!" can't taking the pain that's building up, she held her gut as she tried to muffled her giggles with her right hand clamped on her mouth, tighly.  
"Oh, those times were so...simply irritating..." she fiddled with her hair. Then smirked. "But, you know, it's fun to tease someone like her!" they uploaded another set of laughter.  
Without any warning, they shivered in horror when Sayako sat beside them. There's a murderous aura oozing from her. Although she seemed to be focused, her eyes are clouded. The other two furrowed at seeing her expression. She is probably stressed now. They're not aware of it but her presence suddenly made their air heavy and gloomy.  
"That aho..." they gazed at her dumbly for a minute then blinked a couple of times before they understood. "Teasing again...will she ever tire herself from doing so?" they bore their eyes into her menacing ones. The heavy air was not because of melancholy but was _clear _grudge. A chill ran down their their spines. Sayako is in her natural sadistic state again. Her expression is almost identical to the one she held yesterday but it's surely more horrible so they decided not to say a word.  
"Yo, guys..." a soft velvet voice startled them. They turned to its direction and saw Rina with Maria both frowning. Jole and Fuyumi looked at each other thinking if it's another fraud act. "She pestered our Sa-chan again." except from Sayako, all of them dropped their heads and sighed. There's no hope for her to change.  
"And I think it's the reason why Sa-chan is giving off that menacing aura." muttered Maria as she observed closely, taking others' attention as well. They backed away from her when she glanced and glared at them.  
"Talking about nonsense won't be able to do anythi-ACK!" Sayako's supposed-to-be-outburst-of-anger was muffled when Rinko pounced on her the second time that day.  
"SAYAKOnda's angry at me~?" Rinko whined, "NANDE~!?" none answered as Sayako glowers at her. Although they gave her unbelieving stares.  
_She's really numb..._Fuyumi sighed.  
_After teasing, how could she ask _that_? _Rina shook her head in disbelief.  
Before anything _heinous _could happen, Jole reminded them of the festival. Since their games would start later after Sayako's, they'll watch hers first. And as expected, her 'normal' opponent is being threatened by the loud cheering of her _followers also known as_ – for Jole – 'fans'. Rina and Jole...well, they're one of them. They're cheering with Maria who was dragged by. Rinko, on the other hand, is spending her time on eating the italian pizza she just ordered from a stall.  
"Rui! This isn't the time to be-!"  
"I just want to watch her! Our game will start later so-"  
"That's not what I mean!" the arguments from afar were music to the raven's ears as she yelled-  
"ANIKI~!" -at them after she jumped off her seat and pounced on the unaware but delighted Rui. "So you'll watch her match, too?"  
"Yeah, yeah. Of course!" he beamed a smile at her. Akira ever carefully snatched back his hand from Rui's grip in his stoic manner.  
"Why are all of you interested in her game?" she pouted at him and he nervously frowned. She smirked. "Rui-aniki, by any chance, do you like Sa-chan?" Rui's eyes widened and by instinct, Rinko instantly knew it's the most accurate hunch she ever had by the way he now looks. She smirked wider. "Let's go nearer to the court~!" unhesitatingly, she grabbed their wrist and dragged them to where the other three are standing with loud cheering, which caused Akira who wanted to stay in a corner under the shades get more dismayed.

"Khana-san, do you think our game would start soon?" Jin asked worriedly as he walks back and forth, irritating the girl more.  
"I don't know, and I don't care." she replied. "But I think it'll start _later _after mine with Sa-chan." she snorted, suppressing a grunt as she tried to sneak away from him but halted as soon as she felt him look at her.  
"Yours with Sa-chan?"  
"Yeah. And that is after her singles match so _let me _leave." Khana left then, uncaring of the guy's rants, complaints and whines._ Who cares about their basketball? I'll tend to my master first!_

Out of displeasure, the redhead exasperatedly sighed. His first day to the university turned out to be a tiring one. First, he planned to watch them only. Second, because first plan was ruined by Jin, the one who dragged him, his last resolve is to stay away from them as much as possible. But then, that was also ambushed. He has no where to go now as he's now one of the players of their basketball. He can't also escape because...well...his hand is cuffed to the screen around the basketball court. It was done by Jin earlier. He was making sure he'll get him to participate. Lawrence might be just another luckless guy here...

The sun was high up in the sky indicating that it's already noon. It was then that Khana arrived at the badminton court after a sprint from the other. Huffing, she elbowed the crowd and later was able to grab the screen with pure luck and watch the court closely. Unlike earlier, the cheering was gone, lost in silent sighs and gasps as everyone gaped in awe to each of the student council president's move. Khana herself felt how intense the concentration of the subjected girl is. According to her reckoning, she's been with her for five years. And in those years, she never saw her play a game in that perfect condition.  
The girl would playfully smile and giggle at first but then, as the game moves forth, she's becoming more and more serious until, in _their _case, they could hear her low whispers of curses at every time her opponent would have the score.  
"Her expression right now is definitely different from the one she had a while ago." Khana heard a familiar girl said by her side. She faced her and knew it's Rina. "She was just outraged then, when Rinko pissed her off."  
"Rinko?" Khana asked although it sounded like a statement that the other did not reply.  
It's not surprising to know that. Then, she stole a quick glance at the score board. Under Sayako's is fifteen as to her opponent is twelve. _What a difference, _she said in monotone.  
It wasn't long before the game was finished with the president declared as the winner. Although her opponent was proven to be strong, she was still in the upper hand. After a little bit of chat with them, Sayako went back to their locker room and changed to her another jersey. She hates sweating much.  
"That was like you some time ago." she immediately turned to face him and frowned at the unexpected visitor. A light blush crept across her face. Luckily, she was already dressed.  
"Zen," she growled, "isn't it disrespectful of you to suddenly enter here? This is the _girls' _locker room."  
"But you're already done." he smugly smiled, as if taunting her. "I'm not a peeping tom, am I? Besides, your body isn't something that would interest me."  
She glared at him. Although he noticed her heart skipped a beat, he ignored it, seeing how irritated she is right now.  
"Before your doubles match with Khana, your class' basketball would start first." he sighed. "So stop looking at me like that." Sayako's eyes widened in the slightest manner and followed him as he took his leave.

"Akira," Rui said, worriedly. "Rinko isn't around. Have you seen her anywhere?" he eyed every corner around them, trying to find the missing-in-action raven.  
"No. When we were at the badminton court, you just left me on my own." he clenched his hand into a fist. "When her game finished, you dragged me again here. But now, it's worse. DO YOU REALLY HAVE TO HANDCUFF THE BOTH OF US???" He exclaimed with undivided attention to their wrists, cuffed together.  
"Well..." Rui scatched the back of his head in reviewing what just happened. "As you said, I just left you on your own. So, in order to avoid that happening, I'll make sure you won't be able to get away from me."  
"And where did you get that?"  
"I got it from Jin." he smiled like a carefree happy-go-lucky model. "I just saw Lawrence by here a while ago and I asked him whose is it and he told me it's Jin's then he-"  
"BAKA!" he shouted at him. Others' attention were fixed on them but he ignored them and continued, "Why would you talk to that guy!? Have you forgot what-"  
"ANIKI~!" he did not finish what he was saying as both of them quickly looked to the direction where the familiar voice came. Light brightened their faces as soon as they saw Rinko, cheerfully smiling at them. As usual, she jumped into Rui's arms. "Ne, ne, why are hands together? Is that something required for a game? The people are staring at you because of that, aren't they?"The two shooed away the unwanted attention of some eyes with a simple pair of death glares and death aura. Sarcastically, after what they both did, Rui returned the girl's smile. Although there wasn't any doubts that he was pissed off, Rinko seemed unaffected.  
"Have you seen Khana anywhere?" Sayako's voice startled both Rui and Akira. The tone of her voice was somehow...weird. She just talked in a childish, puppyish voice. "I'll practice with her before our game starts." then, all of a sudden, her voice normalized. She was serious again. Since Zen and Rui know her for such a long time, they weren't surprised; even Akira wasn't. He did not even notice it. But among them, as the one who always hears her threatening voice, Rinko was stunned.  
"She headed that way, I think." the mentally stunned girl managed to say without stammering. She was still unmoving when Sayako left with Zen. "W-O-W." she pronounced the word in three syllables.

Despite all of his complaints, Lawrence gracefully played. He was dribbling the ball faster than the others do. When he'll go for a dunk, there was no one who could block him. His shirt was a bit loose and so, in every time he makes a shot, it generously shows his well-toned abs. His muscular frame and chest was also shown since the said generous one was sleeveless and its neckline was a little lower than the average measurement. Autumn was near its end and winter is fast-approaching but the temperature was warmer due to the humidity. Because of it, he was glistering under faint sun. The basketball was too noisy with all the cheers. It went on quite slow because the teams both played excellently.  
On the contrary, Sayako's and Khana's doubles ended with 21-30 as the score count. Their tandem was great even against the greatest.  
"Harume-san," the redhead called as he walks toward her. "I don't think you're acting reasonably."  
"What do you mean?" she asked, her eyes matched her flat, low, serious tone.  
"Aren't you supposed to be investigating right now?" he questioned with heavy sarcasm in his voice, thinking she'll be taken aback. But how she responded surprised him instead. Her expression did not change; it's still blank.  
"Before I enjoyed myself in this fest," she said, her tine unchanging. "I made a decision beforehand... I decided this day is the ending of my blissful university life."  
Before he could even reply, she turned her back and paced away from him as he shuddered from her words of dead seriousness.

[last reverie]


	18. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

It was early in the morning when Rinko got up with Fuyumi. As an observant observer, the brunette immediately noticed how weak she seemed to be when they were heading to the dinning hall. When they took her to the infirmary, they knew she has a slight fever with her 38°C. After eating breakfast, she took a fever medicine and was ordered to sleep for some rest. Jole and Rina were there, bitterly thinking that it's unfortunate for her since the sports fest is still going on and she won't be able to participate in the particular game she chose. However, it was part of her plan. She schemed all of it so she won't have any other excuse when she'd go missing in the middle of the fest to investigate. She sneaked out by time the nurse-in-charge was gone to look for some cold compress.  
"I'd like to talk to you about something." a voice said, halting the girl as she walks upstairs. She looked over her shoulder and gripped her bow – which she just took from their room – as soon as she saw that it was Lawrence. His presence sent initial impulses through her veins, which she neglected, as she thought of using her arrows in the quiver that's slung across her back.  
"What is it?" the same as their last meeting yesterday, her voice was in business-tone again.  
"I..." he held a sour look as he walks closer to her. "I'll tell you while having some coffee in the cafeteria."  
"Tell me now." she demanded. "I still have some things to do." he frowned.  
"It appeared like my squad was attacked last night." he whispered.  
"Attacked? By vampires?" her voice was flat but there was a sharp edge as she said her last word.  
"You mean _a vampire._" he finished his statement. Her eyes widened.  
"Just one? What were they doing!?" she hissed, clenching her fists in agitation. "What happened, then?"  
"Only one survived." he bitterly phrased. "That vampire was strong. He was probably an '_old one_'. It also seemed like he was using poison as his trump card. The tests made by the police proved that they died from some kind of unknown poison. Since there's no one to monitor the cameras anymore, I removed them earlier this morning. Kevin suggested that it's better if I'll take their place but I said accompanying you would be a better job. Investigating here is more important."  
"Only one?"  
"Only my aunt, Raziel." she stared at him for a while. "But she's comatose in the central hospital. Zack and Gureth died on their encounter." she suppressed a gasp.  
"Aunt, eh?" she laughed without humor.  
"Yeah. She's a few years older than me." he cleared his throat. "Anyway, moving on, what plans do you have that you pretended to be sick?" he crooked a brow at her.  
"Do I need to explain to you?"  
"Of course." he smirked. "Although I know you don't want to cooperate with me, we need to plan something together." Rinko bit her lip in defiance but complied, defeated.  
"I'll go to the computer room and hack their system to get classified informations on how this university was built. By doing so, I'll be able to know why this place became their lair. That's only the start of it. I pretended to be sick to have an excuse for being absent in the current school event. If they'll happen to catch me, I'll simply act to be ditching the event."  
"I was just about to order you to investigate the background of this university. But that plan of yours is a better start." Lawrence complimented and they both went at the second floor of the building.

"Sayako-sama," Khana called, interrupting her liitle chat with Rui. She moved closer and whispered to her ear, "I can't find Zen-baka anywhere." Sayako was immediately stoned; her jaw was clenched into a perfect square.  
"Isn't his chess starting soon?" Rui asked. Khana nodded but Sayako stayed silent like a tiger waiting for the right time to attack its prey with the best way possible.  
"I..." Sayako managed to mutter, catching the attentions of the two. "I was able to hear his thoughts last night. He thought, 'I must do it'. After that he was blocking me again."  
Khana and Rui both stilled.  
"Sayako-sama...isn't he the right hand of chairman Akishi?"  
Sayako nodded once. Like they all have the same idea at the same time, they looked at each other in the dead silence that followed.

The walk up to the computer room was totally different from the noisy court at the outside that can be viewed from the windows. They were both quiet. Aside from the noise outside and the twittering of some birds, their footsteps that were clacking on the marble floor were the only particular audible sound along that corridor. Their footsteps came to cease as soon as they reached the computer room; they were replaced by small sounds of infiltration when Rinko tried to unlock the door with a key she recently duplicated from the real one. After she unlocked it successfully, the door swung open and they went inside.  
"I have a laptop here." Lawrence said, catching her attention. Then, he held his right hand up that's carrying the laptop bag. They moved to a computer and started it. Rinko first opened the 'documents'. She easily took every information about the school – the history of its foundation, where it originated and even the details about Vince Akishi, the university's chairman. However, things did not go on accordingly. There was one file that required a password to be opened. In pure haste, Rinko brought the laptop to life and used it to hack the other. In no time, they got the correct password. But, on the other hand, Rinko is the one who hesitated. Her fingers tremble on the mouse.  
"Open it." Lawrence commanded. His voice was husky, filled with anticipation, which she flinched at. As soon as she regained her esteem, she clicked it open, but almost gasped at what she saw. She shuddered when she rolled her eyes to her side and saw Lawrence's face very close to her. His smirk was noticeable.  
The file was only a picture with a little caption bellow but what made it a perfect evidence is the damsel in the middle of it. The damsel stands by the door of a small cottage made from bricks. Around the cottage are some trees. Before her are toddlers of about five to six of age. She seemed to be teaching them. There was nothing odd from the photo except from the way they are clothed. They seemed to be from medieval era.  
"That girl..." Rinko muttered as she observed the teacher. She has a long, wavy, auburn hair. Although it's fixed in a bun, half of it flows down her waist with its tips curled. She has a pair of brown eyes that look at her students cheerfully. Aside from her features and the setting, no other things were clear considering its age. "Although the color of her hair and eyes are lighter...she looks like...Sayako-san..." she whispered too low that she seemed to be talking to herself alone. "But...that cheerful expression...it's the difference..." then she read the caption. "First school of Yukio Monte Crell."  
"That Yukio was mentioned in this university's history." Lawrence stated, slightly surprising her. "She's the wife of Cross Monte Crell but her maiden name is _Akishi._" she stood up and stared at him with fiery eyes. "This university was founded by her. She and Cross has an only daughter but little is known about her. Such as her name..." Rinko glared at him. "Her daughter was called...Sayako Monte Crell." she flinched as he said it syllable-by-syllable.  
A half minute passed but it seemed like an hour.  
"It was noted that Cross was British and Yukio was Japan." Lawrence continued merciless as he watches realization slowly consumes the other slayer. "So, it may be possible that they were from Britain and just migrated here."  
"What's the issue with that?" she asked, again, in a flat voice.  
"There's only one reason that fits if they are the same Monte Crells. They are hiding because Monte Crells are known for being a family of vampires. They are the archenemy of the slayers before. Since that's the case, they might changed their surnames into something obscure. And that will be Akishi, Yukio's maiden name."  
"Are you saying that Sayako-san and Chairman Vince are originally Monte Crells?" she gritted her teeth. "That's insane! You don't have any proofs! You're merely accusing them as vampires!"  
"That cottage in the picture is also in here." he neglected her comment. If there was something that was missing in his theory, which is the fact he just said that sent shivers down her spine.  
"Where is it?" she asked in a low, serious and calm voice.  
"Follow me." he said. Before they left, she inserted a CD in the drive and used the virus in it to corrupt everything in the system of the computer, including its memory to erase any traces of their hacking. The only things that were saved were the files needed as evidences that they saved in the laptop.

Sylvon's and Rina's eyes flashed red after hearing the news about Rinko from Fuyumi. The brunette just went back to the clinic to check on the raven but the nurse said she left already, probably to join them to the fest. But the nurse's conclusion was obviously wrong. They haven't seen her yet. Even her shadow was clearly absent. Sayako, Khana, Rui, Maria and Akira are by the side, too. It was a general meeting requested by Rui himself. At first, Khana refused but eventually agreed because of Sayako's presence.  
Before Fuyumi continued, a breeze of cool near-winter wind passed them.  
"The leader of the back-up squad, Lawrence, is also missing." she whispered, knowing they'll hear clearly no matter how faint her trembling voice is. "They are probably with each other by now, conducting their investigation in the shadows."  
"In the shadows..." Sayako repeated. "Speaking of shadows...Zen must be the one playing in the shadows..." she frowned. "Among us, aside from those missing _slayers_, he's the only one that's supposed to be here but isn't."  
"He's the same as always." Khana commented. "If he's not with Vince, he'll surely pop up from nowhere, later."  
"He's with Vince." Rui said. "He can't be with anyone without us knowing. Aside from-"  
"We rely on hunches and suspicions." Maria interfered. Her eyes are closed as she deeply concentrates. "I saw him went into elders' place..." Rina and Sylvon shifted their eyes at her.  
"How much are you now allowed to see?" Sylvon asked, pronouncing each word hastily that Akira and Fuyumi barely understood him.  
"Yeah. The spell-like barrier weakened. I think it's because the caster is concentrating on another spell." she answered.  
"What can you know see?"  
"I...I can see..." she flicked open her eyes. "R-Rinko...I-I don't know what time...but s-she'll know something very i-important...w-within this day." she stuttered, still in the state of shock from whatever she saw. After saying the due time, their conversation returned again to the dead silence they started from before Fuyumi was able to speak.

They were couples of meters away from the cottage when they stopped to look. After a long period to time, the cottage's physical features are different to the one in the picture. Vines and ivies crept around its structure. The bricks are now green from the moss. The ground that it stood upon is also covered in green grass; then, the faint light of the autumn sun shown upon it. For a moment, they forgot that it was an olden school with a teacher being suspected as a vampire. What they just felt was the joy in the air of the small architecture.

He knelt down and after a few tries, he heaved the metal up and saw the ladder leading down. "Shall we go and find what's bellow?" she nodded. He sneered at her. "Remember, curiosity killed the cat," he said, letting her to go down dressing up in her black and red jacket and white blouse, the faint sound of the sheathing of her sword announced the coming of the unwanted battle. She pulled her brows together and felt the texture of the jeweled basket-hilt of her claymore under her index finger as she carresses it. Then, as if testing her prowess, she ran high-voltage electric currents through it as her eyes reddened. She gulped and then, like a sinking ship, her eyes slowly closed. When she reopened them, they're already back to their natural autumnal-brown color. She took the cord of her sword and tied it around the belt way of her jeans. Suddenly, out of the blue, a couple of knocks on the door alerted her. She walked with heavy steps, unlocked it and opened for her fetcher to come in.  
"Ready?" the black-red haired guy asked. She nodded and instinctively glanced at his waist where his sword, flamberge, lies. "You don't look like you are. Are you sure you'd go, Akishi-dono?"  
"Stop worrying, Rui." she walked pass him. "If there's one who's in dangered to come, that will be you." in the most ignorant way, Rui tilted his head to his side.  
"Me?" he asked, stepping closer to her making her heart thump.  
"Yes, you." she answered, concealing her heart's recent activity. "Have you forgotten Maria's premonition about you?"  
"Nope." he became serious again. "But...If I'll really die tonight, what will you give as my last compensation?" he inched closer.  
"Halt." she phrased, looking at his lips that are in-no-inch close to hers. Because of it, she's already breathing the air he exhaled. "If you don't want to die earlier, then that's as far as you can go." the guy instantly stepped back, holding his gut as he choke out a loud laugh. "Wha-!"  
"Playing tricks on someone who's unpredictable and making her predictable is really a superb hobby!" he said between his laugh. "Look, you're blushing!"  
"Stupid idiot!" she fumed and angrily sent him a bash, which he easily blocked.  
"I was just about to give you something when I heard your heartbeat." his tone became normal again, calming the other.  
"What is it?" she threateningly questioned. Then, he took something from his pocket, grabbed her hand and submissively gave it in her care.  
"That is yours." he said as she hold it up in her front, marveling. It is a silver bracelet with a cross in the middle, which has a ruby gem in the center. "Don't you remember?"  
"This...is my otto-sama's, isn't it?" she said without a tone of questioning. After examining its ancient features, she warped and locked it around her wrist. It took her some seconds before she put her hand down and looked back at Rui. "He gave this to okaa-sama."  
"Yes. That is also the thing that showed to me who I really am." he looked down, as if ashamed of what he just said. "If...we...aren't really related...who will I be to you?"  
"You will always be you." she replied without any moment of contemplation. "it doesn't matter. What are saying?"  
"I can read past events in objects depending on how much stored memory there is." he paused with a deep breath and he took his contact lenses off and kept them in his case, which he slipped in the pocket of his coat. When valor lit upon his will, he held her face up so that they're looking into each other's eyes. "I saw the scene when Cross-tono was planing to adopt me. Because he loves you so, he was ready to adopt an orphan to be your human cousin so that in time, you'll understand how to care for humans."  
"What proof do you have?" she asked, intrigued; and unbelieving at the same time. "You mean...we aren't cousins?"  
"Yes. The reason why why I wanted you to meet Rinko was because she's a part of your past." he confessed, forming creases on his forehead because of his deep frown. "I saw it through her rabbit stuffed toy. Believe me or not, that's the truth. The truth, which they concealed and which I tried to hide due to my fears, is my farewell gift for you."

"What are we gonna do next after proving that they are vampires?" she asked blankly with no hopes of success. If they would be successful in having strong evidences against the university itself, that only means Sayako would be the opposite of 'friend'. "We aren't just doing this for the sake of being a detriment to this university, are we?" she was still astounded by the beauty of the antique painting.  
"After proving that they are vampires, we can easily tempt them with your blood." she shuddered. "Then we can easily create a panic scene and define who are the vampires in the crowd as they try to attack you."  
"So, you mean, I'll play as the bait?"  
"Of course." he looked at her, and smiled genuinely. "Don't worry. I won't let you down." she snubbed him, immediately creating a wide contrast between his current expression with the most recent one as he snickered.  
"If you won't wanna go in, so be it." she said expressionlessly as she paced to the door of the cottage and went inside. He followed her trail.  
"It's really a school, eh?" said Lawrence as they examined the interior of it. By the walls are the shelves with books and in the center is a wooden table. Near the windows are some lockers with rusted padlocks. Despite how old it may seem from the outside, it's clean and has no trace of old age."I thought it's an abandoned place. Although it's proven to be old by these holes." he referred at the irregular-shaped holes on the wooden floor.  
"Even cobwebs aren't present." Rinko supported his line. She ran her index finger on the table but when she took a look at it, not even a single dust particle was caught. "This isn't abandoned. They're using it." she concluded.  
"Harume-san," he called, holding a fire hook. She looked down and noticed a metal covering on the floor. "It seems like this is for that thing, which possibly leads to a secret hideout." her eyes widened and her lips curled from the corners, forming a smirk of a curious cat.

It was a chaotic afternoon for the whole university. The festival was cut short and what's worse is that the students are to go back home too early for the winter break. Based on the rumors, it was because of the sudden news about a lunar eclipse, in which the university is tasked to observe for an unknown reason. After a little commotion, the front entrance is now crowded with different family cars as the students say their goodbyes to each other. What is obscure to them is that their departure is a preparation for a head-on battle at night.  
"Jole," a soft, kind voice called from nowhere, causing the girl to be startled. She turned to her rear, swinging her yellow dress around because of the motion, and saw it's Rina. "Be careful."  
"What for?" she snorted, jokingly. "You sounded really serious."  
"I _am _serious." all at once, she stiffened and closed the distance between them to hear more of what she'll say. "On your way, if you'll see a Mercedez heading towards here, call me immediately. We are waiting for some back-up."  
"What...what's going to happen?" she asked, shivering when she realized the fact that there's an unwelcomed occurrence waiting to happen.  
Rina waited for the another cars to leave. With trembling, cold hands, she forced her tone to be calm and almost nonchanlant. "The elders and Vince will later hold a rebellion against the vampire lord." she paused, her lips involuntary quivered as she continued, "Though we still don't know...what they might actually do...that's our conclusion at this time." she turned her back; and just then, plastered a fake smile as carefree as she can manage while watching Jole – who was also fear-strucken at that time – when she went inside their car and left.

Their footsteps were echoing along the murky hall. It's dark and the only light are the torches. In the background are the unknown eerie noises which caused the hair on their arms stand up. Rinko gripped his bow tighter when a tug resonated. On the contrary, Lawrence kept still, like a walking statue in silence. Their hearts were pounding hard in their chests in anticipation for what unseen monster might be awaiting for their arrival. Aggravated as their surrounding as they may seem, but they did nothing for their determination to waver.  
"Lawrence..." she called, her voice a bit muffled by her hesitating lips. "Look." she pointed her finger to their right when they came upon a crossroad . By there is a chamber without a door. Inside, shelves are arranged all around the walls as they tower to the ceiling.  
"You wanna read?" he asked, mockingly.  
"No." she hissed as she glared at him, but let it pass. "Look at the center." he obeyed. And his eyes widened in that slightest bit when he was dazzled by the angelic beauty of Yukio in a portrait that's evidently painted in perfection. "We must investigate that room." in pure haste, they immediately paced to the shelves. In to time, books piled up on the tables at its center.  
It was when Rinko took a red and brown book out when their silence was broken with a loud thud after her hands slipped off. Lawrence averted his gaze from the books to her. Clueless, he stood and picked the book up. A smirk turned his lips up as he read the printed title of it: Carmeli University year book 1961-1962.  
"This one is one of the missing year books." he said, handing it back to her. He scanned the shelves and found other other books in the same color. "Wanna read them?" still stunned, she just nodded, not trusting her words that might come, though unwanted.  
Rinko sharply took a deep breath as he turned the cover. She looked a bit tanner as she glisters under the faint like of the surrounding torches. She became uneasy with a thin layer of sweat on her skin and the loud pounding of her heart. Unfamiliar faces passed by as the pages are being flipped but when he reached the middle he ceased.  
Rinko shut her eyes in disbelief.  
On that very page, all of the sepia photos of each registered student took the innocence of the people she once called 'friends'. Her eyes are are wide-opened when she abruptly snatched it from Lawrence. She stared down on it steadily, hoping that she was just seeing thing but instead, she threw the book away and stepped back until she hit a shelf. As tears started to trickle down, she slowly slid down and slumped on the floor. "It can't be!" her voice echoed. " ...Why...!? S-Sayako-san..." she sobbed, their images crept into her mind, carving themselves upon her memory. "Maria-san..."  
"Those guys called Sylvon and Zen, too." Lawrence said as he reads the other year books.  
"Stop it!" she exclaimed, squeezing her eyes shut and bracing herself as she curls into a ball. "This is a bad dream! A nightmare!" He looked at her, eyes filled will anxiety that's orginally hers. He doesn't know whether it was his conscience or just a human instinct but, he felt her pain and dropped his poker face together with the book. He paced and forcefully grabbed her, uncaring if she'll be in _physical _pain as she struggles but he insisted; soon, she became limp, giving up, and stared at him blankly.  
"You aren't a simple human." he said, calm and compassionate. "You are a slayer. You shall not let your emotions get into your way." he continued to look at her; and just then, her gaze tightened, almost piercing but still smooth. He let her go and took the year books with him. Unfortunately, mercy wasn't shown upon her. When he started to walk, a picture dropped from a book he's holding and when it landed very delicately, it showed Rui together with Sayako. The proof that it's nowhere in the present is very noticeable. A hand written 1830 is the solid evidence of the case.  
"...what...the hell?" her voice was flat; she paled. After saying her lone phrase she managed to choke out, her mind went blank, giving some space for pain to reside.

The silence was prolonged when no one of them talked. The awkwardness was being tolerated when they paced together, side by side, heading to the others who they are going to meet. Their distance to each other makes the atmosphere more tensed; yet, the other is still determined for the vampire lord not to be able to penetrate his mind. Unlike during their ordinary days as university student, the whole corridor – or even the whole building itself – is absurdly still like an empty and deserted abbatoir. Having the university as their second home, they both felt homesickness through their very veins.  
"Sayako-sama..." the familiar voice of Khana broke the silence. Sayako immediately turned to its direction, still holding a poker face. "All is ready."  
"Head to your positions now." she said in her calm, normal voice. "We don't know what my uncle is planning." they all held doomed expressions at her statement.  
"They're here." Rina said as she strolls toward them with Sylvon by her side. They are followed by a squad.  
"Hisashiburi, Agnes." although the situation she was previously in was intense, her tone was chummy as she welcomed the girl who seemed to be the leader of the squad. Like every one of them, she and her companions possess the rare beauty of their race. From top to bottom – her sandy brown hair that's curled at the tips, her hazel eyes, and her lavender pink lips – there's no flaws. "Those guys whom you brought, introduce them."  
"Line up." she ordered. A tall Venetian blond stepped forward; and beside him are the two others who are a platinum and flaxen blond respectively. "From my right, Armen," she said, referring to the tall one. "Jeinrich," she referred to the flaxen guy next who has the middle height. "and Jul." and ended after introducing the platinum blond who's seems to be the youngest among them. Just then, Fuyumi and Akira paced towards them, alerting Agnes and her company. She stiffened, hissing as her eye color gradually changes to red...  
"Don't attack them." Rui interferred when she was about to step forward. "They aren't enemies."  
"And who are you?" she raised a brow arrogantly.  
"He's Rui; Rui Honou." Sayako said as the other slayers halted at their sides.  
"The guy whom Cross-sama adopted from our orphanage?" – Sayako winced. For a moment, she looked at him as he let her read his thought; _I told you – _"So, it's true. Priestess Bridget really took care the ex-human who's supposed to be your responsibility."  
"Watch your words." Khana snarled, defensing the vampire lord. Sayako shook her head at her.  
"Thanks for what you said." she said in pure courtesy. "I hate hearing secret thoughts like that. If you want to go away now, do as you wish. I don't need loyalty but honesty instead." They smiled at each other.  
"I won't leave you beacause of a simple matter. Besides, I know that you aren't foolish enough to do the same mistake twice." she looked at Rui. "Anyway," then she flickered her gaze to the two other at his side. "Are those humans hypnotized? What are they do – "  
"We aren't under anything." Fuyumi said as she grip her staff at her side in unison to Agnes' surprised gasp. Akira stares at her pursuassively, trying to stop whatever she'll say; and fails when she spoke again, "And if you're trying to do anything to us – "  
"They are here to help us." Sayako cut her off. Being able to read her mind, she immediately knew what she'll say will only cause a commotion. Although she was disappointed for not being able to say what she wanted to say, Fuyumi stayed calm. "They aren't civilians so don't worry, they won't burden us."  
"That's not my concern." Agnes said. "They're suspicious." she eyed the brunette's staff and Akira's gun. "Remember the attack of the slayers at your residence before?" – Sayako held no expression as the cousins both glanced at her – "I don't think I could cooperate with them. I can't give them my trust after what happened in the past."  
"If they'll do anything nasty," Sayako said, "I'll kill them myself." Fuyumi glared at Sayako but Rui interferred. "By now, you must be on your positions." Agnes nodded and together with Rina and Sylvon and left.  
"Why did you say that?" Fuyumi asked as calmly as she could manage.  
"Because it's the truth." Sayako glared back at her. "But don't worry," she sarcastically smirked. "I know that you won't. You value your life enough to have fear in me."  
"I fear no one." Then, she pointed her staff up at her, gritting her teeth.  
"Stop that." Rui tried to calm them down as he pushes them away from other with Akira's help. Sayako glanced at Khana; and realizing how calm she is, she dropped her facade and replaced it with a genuine tranquility.  
"Let go, Rui." he hesitated but obeyed. Akira did the same, although bitterly when the brunette forcefully strungled. "I won't hurt you if you'll behave yourself...don't anger Agnes or she'll be over with your cold body before I do." Fuyumi's eyes widened when she noticed the blankness of the other girl's expression. _That expression...by any chance... S_he thought, chuckling_. Did she say that to reassure that girl so she'll leave...without hurting us...? _Sayako tensed when she tried to read her thoughts. Fuyumi stilled and stared at her in the eyes.  
"Got 'ya." she smirked. Sayako's eyes burnt red when she realized that the girl saw through the words with her excessive common – or maybe uncommon in her case – sense.  
"Stop jumping to your own conclusion, will you?" she snarled, a faint blush tainting her fair cheeks.

"How long are we going to wait?" she asked, half-dazed by what they have recently found.  
"Just half an hour." he said. "I've planned our last resolve prior to this investigation so they aren't that far from our location. And Kevin-sachou is with them." Rinko jerked and looked up at him.  
"He's with our back-up?" she stood up from the ground and stared at Lawrence. The guy simply nodded as Rinko looked down, setting her gaze back on the ground.  
"I'll just go back to our dorm." the redhead's eyes widened at the slightest bit. "There's an evidence I forgot."  
"What is it?" he asked, pulling his brows together. "I'll accompany you."  
"I don't want anyone's accompaniment. Besides, I can handle myself." she turned her back at him and started pacing. The only thing he was still able to see was her silhouette. Soon, it was also gone.

"Khana," Sayako called her. "Go and hide with Maria at the basement." It was only Rui and the two of them who were left after she ordered Fuyumi and Akira to accompany Agnes.  
"Do you really don't need me in the fight?" she frowned. Sayako shook her head and took her hand.  
"It's not because I don't need you." she explained, "It's because I need someone to look over to Maria. She can't defend herself without her ability working in its best condidtion." Khana nodded, and as if giving Sayako in his care, she left with an encouraging glance to Rui.

"Isn't it time for my compensation now?" he asked in a mocking tone. Sayako turned at him with a scowl. She clenched her hand into a fist but knowing he 'll be able to block that attack and loosened her grip. Instead she let electriacl currents flow through her right arm.  
"Will this do?" she replied a question, using sarcasm as she holds her arm up. "Idiot." Rui simply chuckled when she put it down, casting the electricity off. "Our situation right now isn't something to laugh at. My uncle is one of the elder council, which means he's as old as a never-will-be-rotten-plastic; Zen is probably on his side; And on top of those, Rinko will also be our problem. She isn't at the clinic and I haven't seen her until now."  
"I'm only asking for my compensation but you've already said lots of things." he stepped closer and her wrist up. She glared at him as he ran her sleeve up and closed the distance between it and his lips. "This shall be the best one, you know?"  
"My blood? That would surely be blan –" she wasn't able to finish when he sank his fangs on the flesh of her forearm. "Nngh...!" she moaned as she reached his head and tried to pull him away but the sensation from the bite overpowered her senses and soon, her grip weakened to the point that it seemed like she's pulling him even closer. "...ah..."  
_I never thought I'll be able to hear that voice. _She read his thought as he feasted on her blood.  
"...Baka...!" she tried to push him again but her effort was lost in vain. "St...stop it...not that...bite..." she trailed off as she bit her lip to shut up, not trusting her words which may only make her utter unwelcomed moans. She grasped his hair as his eyes deliberately turned as red as the substance served before him. "R-Rui...stop it..." she groaned, pushing him as she hears the faint, dashing footsteps that's becoming louder and louder as if coming towards them. "Stop...Rui – !" before she could finish her phrase, an arrow slashed through the thin air; and, although a second delayed, Rui evaded to his side in a blurred motion.  
"Will you explain everything to me, aniki?" the childish tone of her voice echoed in the dead silence as the two stare at her. Her eyes are still blue but something has change. Intead of resembling a clear weather sky, they are now clouded with confusion, hatred, and pain. They seemed to be closer to the cold shadows of the moutains.  
Rinko put her bow down on the floor and took her pistols at her sides. She checked their bullet chambers and found them full, then aimed at them.  
The time seemingly froze as no one moved, as if the time is not measured by the ticking of the clock but instead, by their breaths and heartbeats.  
"I'm waiting." the slayer spoke in a low, flat voice. "As a childish brat, I'm impatient. Therefore, hurry up."  
"Where do you want me to start?" Rui questioned, wiping the trail of blood from the side of his lips as his eyes turned back to dark amethyst.  
Rinko gazed at Sayako's arm, as if concerned. But she only smirked when she saw the bite marks healing rapidly. Then, she returned her attention to him.  
"From the time you met me." she answered tonelessly. "It just hurts my pride to be harmed by a monster yet was saved by another."  
"I'll tell you," Rui said. "If you'll promise me that you won't hurt Akishi-dono." Rinko narrowed her eyes in suspicion.  
"Why do you ask me that? It is my duty to erase such beings as yourselves."  
"How rude." Sayako said, breaking off her silence as she rolled her sleeve to her wrist after she wiped the blood away. "Shall I teach you how to pay respect, slayer?"  
Rinko winced both because of the name she addressed her with and the way Sayako turned and gaze intensely at her with bloodshot irises.  
"I don't need a brute's lesson." she gazed at Rui again, ignoring the irritated noise that Sayako made. "Do we want to tarry more, aniki? Explain everything...are Fuyumi and Akira-aniki also like you?"  
"No." he answered. "I found them five years ago. They are plain humans, just like you." he paused and sucked air deeply. "Right now, among us, Akishi-dono is the stongest. She can make this world an utopia that's only for vampires." Rinko frowned, unbelieving. "But she did not. Rebellion arised. And now, she's being targeted by the ones she formerly leads. But I tell you, once she died, that power would be passed down to her only living relative at this time." Sayako glanced at him. "If -"  
"Enough, Rui." the vampire spoke spoke. "We can't do anything if she won't believe-"  
"She has the right to know so she can have her own decision." he painfully pulled his brows together. "If that happens, Vince, her uncle, will become the vampire lord. His will is to erase the existence of humans. I believe that must be our priority right now."  
"Why do you need blood?"  
"That isn't important." Sayako hissed.  
"Why?" but the slayer insisted. Rui's expression softened.  
"Because we need it." he answered. "Just like how you eat."  
"Can't you survive on human food?"  
Rui pondered for a while then replied, "Only the older vampires can. The young ones basically thirst for it."  
"...it's the nature of mosters..." Sayako mutterred, glancing at Rinko who narrowed her eyes at them. "Right?"  
"...Yeah." the raven answered. "And for that reason, I shall kill you right here. But before that, if what aniki said was right, why did you choose to do nothing with such power?"  
"Because it's a meaningless thing to do." Sayako said, immidaitely getting Rui's attention. "It'll be a waste of -"  
"It won't hurt to tell the truth, Akishi-dono." Rui said, scratching his temple. Sayako shot him a death glare but he didn't mind it. "It's because your mother, Yukio-dono, is an ex-human just like me, isn't it?"

[shattered]


	19. omake 3

Chapter 07


	20. omake 4

Chapter 07


	21. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Silence overshadows everything again after what Rui said. Rinko's expression didn't change. She still held that blank look but her thoughts right now contrasts to it. She never believed that thing. All humans who were bitten are now dead. Those who survived either became a slayer or were brought to a mental hospital because of their condition. Then, she suddenly remembered what Lawrence told her, _"Curiousty killed the cat_." But she shook her head mentally and parted her lips.  
"What turned you into a vampire, then?" she dared to ask.  
"_My _bite." answered Sayako. One suprise after another. Time seemed to have frozen for Rinko. She was as still as a statue or a coprse that died from starvation. "Normally, a vampire have only one ability. Very few have two. But among all of us, our bloodline have more than two. That's why we were called, 'vampire lords'. But alords awaken one at a time. That's why if I die, Vince will be the next lord."  
"And turning a human to a vampire is also one of your abilities...is that it?" the two nodded together. "Then...I have to kill Vince first before you." Sayako's eyes widened then she chuckled.  
"You're one hell of a slayer..."  
"I know." Rinko smiled and paced slowly towards the two making them take their defensive instinct. "But that guy over there," she said as she spun around and fired three times. "Must die first!" Zen dodged and pointed thorny stems darted towards Rinko. Before they reached her, fire dashed like spears and burned them as Sayako simuntaneously grabbed the raven out of the way. "S-sayako-san...!"  
"Shut up, aho!" Sayako said, putting her aside. Rinko felt a vein in her temple throbbed faster than usual.  
"But that guy has been following me since I was outside!" she said, stepping forward. But Sayako blocked her with her arm and glanced at the blond.  
"Zen!" Sayako yelled at the certain guy as he jumped down on the lower floor from the upper, with a mandragora – a free-moving, man-eating, ancient plant – by his side. "How dare you betray me..." she rushed her words as she hissed.  
Behind her, Rinko was gritting her teeth. "Quit blocking my way, obaa-san! And also, have you forgotten I'm here to kill you!?"  
"No, but if you really want to do it then you have to stay alive, don't you?" she arched a brow at her as she looked back. "That's why I'm telling you not to butt in!" Then, Rui hurried strolled to them and took Rinko in his arms. He did not let go even when she struggled.  
"Akishi-dono," he said. "I'll bring the others here. I suppose that guy isn't the only one sent to _kill _you." Rinko shot a glance at him, wide-eyed.  
"T-that guy? Kill her!?" Rinko struggled but Rui carried her over his shoulder, ignoring her protests. "Hanase! Hanase, aniki!"  
"Go on." her eyes turned crimson as she unsheathed her sword, running electric currents through it at the same time. "I'll handle him quickly, though, even if you don't." and he left with the raven who yelled her name as they left.

They are already far from where they were, according to her reckoning. The air was tensed around them as he saunters in his inhuman full-speed. She was still arguing with herself whether to ask him more question, to panic or to stay put and wait for the next things to happen – if there are still any. Suddenly, he ceased and put her down. She was first puzzled by the motion he took but fear overcame her when he turned around with eyes as blazing as his fire. She squeezed her eyes shut, thinking he'll take a mouthful of blood from a bite. But when he didn't, she reopened them slowly and looked back to him. By that time, his eyes were already the perfect amethyst she knows so well.  
"Sorry for scaring you." came his calm smooth voice. "If you want a fight, I'll give that to you later. But for now, cooperate with me by protecting yourself."  
She stared at him for a moment. And she grabbed her hand back. She fixed herself she gripped her pistol as tight as she could.  
"Sayako-san is fighting Zen there, right?" he nodded.  
"Don't worry." Rui said. "Akishi-dono is pretty tough. She won't be killed that easily."  
""I'll really beat the shit of her if she lost!" she shouted, bitting her lip as she trembled in anger. "I'm the only one who'll kill her!"  
Rui sweatdropped. Rinko hates it the most when her prey is being stolen by others. He has proved it countless times when he dared to steal her midnight snacks underneath her bed before.  
Suddenly, a series of gunfires interrupted starled them. As it took their attention, they hurried to the main gate where it came from. There, Lawrence and several other slayers including Kevin were firing their weapons against a battalion of crazy-looking vampires. Also, in that area, dead bodies of their men lie unminded as they fight.  
"They are apparently possessed by that traitor's pet..." Rui whispered as he whipped fire out of the thin air and, as if commanding it, it seperated into two then targeted their quarries and burnt them. Every slayer looked back and found him. They were displeased, as usual, instead of being grateful from the salvation he did.  
"Harume-san!" Lawrence called and was about to pace to her location if not for Kevin who blocked him.  
"So, you already showed your true self?" he spoke in a rather angered but apologetic tone.  
"It's not as if you won't know sooner." he replied.  
"You're an abomination. The likes of you, who do not follow any law of nature, should not be kept alive." then he eyed the girl behind him. "Isn't that right, Rinko?" Rui hissed and looked sideways.  
"I've got the evidence I need." she said, eyeing Lawrence who got a worried expression on his face. She started pacing towards the slayers, her pistols aimed at him. Rui frowned with anguished look in his eyes. Rinko took something from her pocket that she handed to Kevin.  
"A tape recorder?" Kevin arched a brow suspiciously. No matter how doubtful he was, he pressed the play button. Rinko took a few steps away from them as soon as its contents started playing.  
The voices in the tape were very recognizable. It caused the slayers to whisper, murmur, and even argue all at once. Lawrence and Kevin were the only ones who stayed still, as if stoned. Even Rui himself was surprised, his cool exterior was taken off as he was completely caught off guard. Things slowly settled down, sinking into their minds which tried and tried to absorb the details from the recorder: Rinko's forceful interogation of the two vampires, Rui and Sayako.  
"Rinko...t-that's..." Rui phrased, pacing a little towards them but ceased when Rinko looked back at him.  
"I investigated in order to prove your innocence." she explained. "Although, I was disappointed by the truth, I'm thankful to know that you did not betray me at all. Thank-" she wasn't able to finish her sentece when Kevin laid a hand on her. She was sent on the floor by the force, shocked to know that her adoptive _father _just hurt her. Rui and Lawrence, despite disliking being near the latter, almost automatically burst with anger and hurried to help her stand up. Her cheek was blazing red.  
"How would you know that that beast told you only the truth!?" Kevin thundered, ignoring Rui's glare at him. "Don't you dare tell me you believed his words!" he was trembling in fury with mad-eyes.  
"I believed...him..." she muttered, clenching her fists. "He...never lied...to me..." then she held out her hand, opened it and handed a brooch. It was a ruby lunette moon chained by a silver, fully-bloomed rose – the crest symbolizing a slayer. The act caused a sudden commotion between them. "If you don't believe him, I don't have any reason to follow you anymore." her calm and strong words were matched with her unwavering voice and gaze – the one holding the azure orbs of her eyes. "And this day is the last one I am a slayer." she said the words deliberately, clearly because she doesn't want to repeat. What she said was the exact impossible opposite of her personality.  
"Such stupidity..." the president whispered, and the next thing they knew was that the crest stumbled on the floor after being hastily thrown by Kevin himself.  
"Being just isn't being stupid." she answered back, justifying her own pilosophy. "We shouldn't slay any innocent life."  
"You speak of Justice?" he took his tone higher. "Have you forgotten our organization's motto? 'If revenge gives justice, justice is revenge'. For us, to shed blood is to bring peace."  
"I never understood you." she spoke, shaking her head. "I never seeked for revenge. I only wanted to bring justice." then she fixed him with a stone gaze. "And justice shouldn't take innocent beings, may they be humans or not; otherwise, the justice we set our lives for bets will only become a cycle of hatred." she paused, and her expression changed. It was being filled with remorse. "Are you insentive? Haven't you noticed that we've become the monters ourselves?"  
There was a moment of silence that followed for a while.  
But before Kevin could give a reply, Rui took Rinko at his back as if guarding her.  
"This argument isn't in the right place." he said. "We are in a situation of life or death. And that is depended on the vampire lord's life. We must be protecting her."  
"I don't believe you." Kevin replied.  
"Whether you believe or not, that is your choice. But I must let you know that Akishi Sayako is the most powerful vampire at this era." Rinko gazed up at him. But he gave her a reassuring look. "If she'll die, the power will be passed to Vince, the chairman of this university. That power if enough to kill the humanity in minimum of three years. You're lucky she's the current lord." Kevin pondered for a while. _Three years? Is that a lie?  
_"I don't believe you."  
"Fine. It's your lost." he said. "You can have something as your reward if you'll do what I want you to."  
"What do you want us to do?" he took it.  
"I want you to take her side." he said. "Protect her and you'll get me as your reward."  
"Aniki!?" Rinko exclaimed.  
"That's...we'll do experiments on you." Kevin told him straightforwardly. "You're crazy to wish for that."  
"As if you'll be able to do that." the ex-human chided.  
"That must be a lie..." Kevin whispered to himself.  
"What now?" Rui demanded. Kevin and Lawrence both froze for a moment. "Are you just going to watch there?" he turned his back to one corner. "Maria?" Maria jolted from afar as every attention were drawn to her. Khana stepped out of the dark and to her side, acting as her guard.  
"What do you think you're doing?" Khana interrogated. She and Maria paced towards them. She was calm but the other was nervous. "Setting yourself as the beacon?"  
"I'm not an ordinary bait." he replied. "Aside from you and Akishi-dono, I'm also one of the fastest healing vamp-"  
"That's not her point!" Rinko stepped back. Lawrence grabbed her wrist but she ignored him. "Sayako-san won't allow this if she's here. Besides, didn't you say that she's the most powerful? Then she can protect herself! There's no need for a sacrifice!"  
"Rinko, you don't-"  
"Shut up!" she turned to Kevin. "You'll side with us without any other condition." Kevin parted his lips to speak but she continued, "Even if you don't, we'll all die after three years."  
"That girl is also a monster." he said. "It is in her abilities ti kill us at any time."  
"Then why am I still alive?"  
Another silence.  
"She gave me something that I never had in my experience of being a slayer."  
"What is it?"  
"Satisfaction."  
"So," Rui scratched his temple. "Shall you meet her or not?"  
"I'll go." Kevin said. "But only with Lawrence and you." the other slayers at his back moaned their protests. "Hush." he turned to them. "You are injured."  
"I'll attend to them." Maria paced forward but Rinko held her.  
"They might kill you." Khana said, her voice had a slight edge of irritation.  
"I'm used to that." the damphyr replied and took her hand from Rinko. "A damphyr like me can heal anyone with only my will. I also can see the future, so there's nothing to worry."  
"Such gifts you have." Kevin praised her. "I heard that damphyrs are weaker than the weakest vampire. But you sure are one-of-a-kind, although the common quotient is still there: you also are demonic."  
"Thank you. But may you watch your words by the next time." she said, blankly.  
Healing the slayers with one brief touch took for ten minutes since they were struggling. The wounds weren't deep but Maria was worried if they were poisoned. It turned out that they were still lucky to be away from death with another step.  
"Sir," she stood up and Faced Kevin. "I know you got yourself wounded too." she eyed his left knee where blood designed his clothes.  
"This is a small graze." he told her, backing off when she attempted to touch him.  
"A wound, no matter what size, is still a wound." she politely told him, impatient.  
"It would hurt more if you'll touch me, demon." he hissed.  
Exactly the moment he took another step back, a green, fleshy and thorny stem wrapped around Maria and snatched her from the crowd. Surprised as they are, gunfire started.  
"Traitor! Zen!" Rui yelled, sending a fire ball at with which he coldly dodged. Maria was in his arms, passed out. Lawrence and Rinko were firing their pistols at him. But they were easily deflected by the ancient plant that served as his dog. "What happened to Akishi-dono!?"  
"She's having a peaceful dream." he answered, smirking as he put the damphyr over his shoulder. "You shouldn't worry for this while."  
"I can't believe you'll betray us, Zen." Khana growled, losing her cool. Her eyes became red.  
"I have my goals. Don't all of us have, too?" he stared at Rinko for a moment. "You," he addressed her who was reloading her gun. "You once wanted to clean this world right? Like in a chess game, a clean board."  
"I just wished for a normal life with no wild creatures to worry about." she told him and fired another bullet that just hit the wall at his rear. "I suppose you know what that does mean." Zen's smirk widened.  
"Very well then. Let's meet at Vince's manor." he banged his arm on the wall and created a huge hole from the force. "Tonigh is a full moon. There's a lunar eclipse. We'll perform a rite to get this girl's sealed power. Tell that to her." and he got into his escape route and jumped of the wall.

Khana, although not losing her temper, burst in soft anger. She darted out the building and followed Zen's trail. At the same time, Rinko panicked. Though Lawrence tried to calm her, the guilt that rose up when she wasn't able to protect Maria tormented her conscience. Rui told her it's going to be alright so, with the redhead, they backtracked the way to where Sayako was left in a one-on-one fight with Zen while the slayers try to regain their energy.  
Rui was already thinking that she'd lose because of her pride. She doesn't want to kill to be able to win the fight. He'd say that'll be her weak point that time because it wasn't an ordinary slayer or vampire she was fighting with. It was a long-time sparing-mate. And also a true, legal cousin because he's Vince adopted son and he grew up with her.  
"What happened?" Rui asked when Fuyumi and Akira came running towards them. At their back, a thick, violent cloud blocks the way.  
"That traitor let out a gas." Akira answered. "We still don't know if it's poisonous or not but the vampire lord is in there."  
"What?" Rinko's mouth gaped in horror. Fuyumi glanced at her. She thought it would take a week for her to understand their situation.  
"Agnes caught a quick glimpse of her there inside. She lies unconscious." Akira explained.  
"I'll go and get her." Rinko declared surprising them all.  
"Are you crazy?" Fuyumi pulled her brows together. "We don't know what that cloud is. That Zen guy isn't only expert with his animalistic plants; he's also skilled in poisons so if you don't-"  
"I'm crazy, yes." Rinko walked passed them. Agnes and her company together with Rina and Sylvon who were stading beside the invisible barricade that seperates them from the cloud also tensed as Rinko passed by. "But unlike you, I'm not an idiot. She's the one we're protecting and not ourselves." with that, she held her breath and stepped into the gas. As soon as she did, it darkly enveloped her. The last thing she was able to hear was Rui's voice calling her, commanding her to go back.

"Sayako-san!" she yelled but nothing answered her back aside from the echo. _Why is it so dark?_  
There was nothing visible in her sight that she was as good as blind in that darkness. But soon, the air became a necessity and she let her breathing resume as she pants.  
The gas wasn't poison. Nothing dangerous happened the second she sucked the air in. Until she stepped her foot forward. Arms from nowhere arised and grabbed her feet, halting her. She panicked, trying to break free. But the more she struggled, the more their grip tightened. The floor she's on slowly became slimy and began to suck her in. She wanted to scream for help but she can't find her voice as she did. Trying to get away, she struggled more. But the arms were stronger. It was also to their advantage when she felt pain at her toes. Spiky needles seemed to prick her feet. _Get away from me! _she ordered angrily, kicking the arms. Headache came to her like adrenaline rush. As she became limp and weak, in a moment, she can't sense anything, even her own weight.

**Rinko sprung up from her bed. The curtains were flutterring as the windows are opened. She sat up and felt the cool breeze on her sweaty skin. She stood up when her fast breathing normalized. _Was that a dream?_ _It felt so real._ She left her room after taking a bath and dressed up in her uniform. The corridor is the same as always. She headed towards the dining hall. She wasn't able to prepare Sayako's breakfast as she promised since the time was too short and she'll get late if she still will. Everything went on smoothly until they went to their room. There, she found the student council president.  
"Ohaiyo, obaa-san!" she greeted but the other girl scowled and ignored her. Rinko frowned, knowing nothing the cause of the girl's current mood.  
Sayako gone missing at their lunch. The raven tried to find her but she wasn't in the places she thought she'd be in. She wasn't in the cafeteria, not in the table they always are. One thing was left: third year music room.**

He chuckled in a low tone and opened his eyes. He's seeing what his two victims are experiencing. After bringing Maria at the center hall so that they can prepare her for the ceremonial rite, he busied himself by playing a role in the minds of the two. He smirked, and licked his lower lip. "I'm starting to like this."  
"What are you doing?" a voice of a man interrupted him and took his attention. He came out into the light, a frown on his face.  
"Vince, don't be a killjoy." Zen said. "I'm playing."  
"That vampire lord's dog have just arrived here." he informed him. "I wanted to make you dispatch her but you seem to be doing other things. JUst what is that about?"  
"This is a game where everything is an illusion." he answered as his smirk grew bigger. "It will only end if the player either won by grasping the pain of reality or lost by forgetting it completely. If the player lost, his mind will get poisoned and he will eventually die."  
"Who is the player then?" his voice expressed the way he was thrilled.  
"Your niece and that slayer who said she gave up her title." Vince snarled.  
"Don't kill her yet." he ordered. "That task is mine to do."

**Her heartbeat was racing with her breath. She tried to calm herself. She breathed deeply and twisted the silver knob of the door. The feeling of anticipation filled her body. The room didn't change even a little. The walls are still the same. The chandeliers still hang beautifully in the ceiling. And the piano is still in the place it has ever been placed on. Her eyes wandered and rested on one familiar person.  
But it's not Sayako.**

**The wind blew the grasses which tickled her hands as she lies her back on the ground. She opened her eyes slowly and saw the big blue sky above her, clear and cloudless. She smiled. The sun above doesn't seem to hate her anymore like when she was still young. _Where am I?_ She sat up and scanned her surroundings. She's in a meadow of assorted flowers. _This place...is familiar... _She stood up and brushed her fingers through her hair then stared up at the sun. _Would I become blind if I continue like this? Galileo Galili became lost his sight after observing that star too much.  
_"Yako-chan!" a familiar voice called her. With her heart beating frantically, she turned around and saw a girl about her age. She looks like her. With her appeareance, they could pass off as twins. Her hair, though curly, is similar to hers from the length to the color. She also have the same brown eyes as her. Their only difference are her big cheerful grin. "Ara, what are you doing there? Come here! Let's have fun!" Sayako walked towards her with a shocked expression.  
"Okaa-sama?" she spoke and looked at Yukio's side. There sat Cross, her father. The two of them have a little similarities and he seems a little older than her, perhaps a year of two older. It seemed that she inherited most of her looks from Yukio since he has a wavy black hair - that's fixed in a nice plait - and his eyes are green. "Why...am I..."  
"If you don't come here, we'll eat all the food." said Cross. The two of them are on a picnic blanket with a basket of sandwiches. She sat down besides them and helped herself with a sandwich.  
"Otoo-sama, Okaa-sama..." she muttered. "Why...how come...you're both alive?"  
"Eh?" Yukio tilted her head to one side. "What are you talking about?"  
"...you see...I..." she frowned then just shook her head. "ah...nevermind."  
"What's bothering you, my child?" asked Cross. "are you sick?"  
"erm...no...it's nothing." she smiled at them. And they smiled back.  
It's been so long since she has ssen them. She then suddenly remembered what her mother told her about his father. She said that although, she looks a lot like her than Cross, Sayako got his personality the most. He is normally a stoic and authoritative individual, but is very kind, warm, and gentle to the ones close to him. He is very strict and often imposes discipline in a fierce way.**

**"Tsuki?" Rinko called the child's name who seemed to be eight. She has the same shiny, deep black hair which is straight and shoulder-length. Her eyes are also the same shade of sky as the raven. "Why are you...?"  
"Nee-chan!" Tsuki cheerfully called her name and stood up from the couch then came to her and embraced her. "I've been searching for you, warui oni!"  
"O-oni?" Rinko frowned at the name then remembered that it was the name her younger sister often call her before. _How could I forget?_ "S-searching?"  
"Yeah. Together with Too-san and Kaa-san." she answered. "Mou! Where have you gone?"  
"Err...I...in the dorms..." she answered. "Why are you here?" _And what are you saying too-san and kaa-san? Aren't all of you dead already?  
"_Oh? I feel that you're lying..." Tsuki pouted and she narrowed her eyes, suspicious of her. "Anyway, we're here because it's my birthday. Or have you forgotten?" she glared at her.  
"N-no! O-of course not!" she thre her hands in her front, waving them no.  
"Then, let's go." Tsuki grabbed her wrist and dragged her out the room.  
"Go where?"  
"Nee-chan...you aren't trying piss me off are you?" she glared at her. "To our village of course! Did you have an amnesia or something!? We'll have a party there!"  
"Village?" her heart skipped a beat. First, her sister. Then her parents. And now their village...? _You've got to be kidding me...it's as if that day never came...like my life as a slayer was a dream...a nightmare._**

**"Okaa-sama," Sayako whispered as she pick a random flower. Yukio just dragged her to a different part of the meadow, saying that she wants to collect somes flowers with her. "...at that time..." she paused, remembering the scene a couple of centuries ago when Yukio blocked a slash by a slayer that was supposed to be Sayako's; remembering how she grabbed his neck and ripped it off; remembering how she faced her and apologized for letting her see such a scene then asking her to escape with Kairo. It was so fresh in her memory despite forgetting how their faces look like. "I'm sorry...I was so weak back then that you needed to protect me...Kairo-niichan said so were strong...but once you're heart have been stabbed, it's over...and there, I just watched you turn to ashes until Otoo-sama arrived..." her orangish brown eyes became molten as tears started to come. "But no one even blamed me for that! No one! I was allowed to live after all of you died...! I don't care if this is a dream or not...I want to hear you say you hate me!"  
"Yako-chan," Yukio patted and ruffled her head. "How could I hate you? If it's the past that pains you, then forget it. But be here with me and your father." she wrapped her arms around her and embraced her tightly. "Forget everything..." she said in a soft murmur and laid Sayako on her lap. "Sleep, Yako-chan..." Sayako slowly closed her eyes. Yukio's warmth is the same as before. Deliberately, she fell asleep.  
"That's right." Yukio murmured, carressing her. "Sleep forever...and never wake up, my child..."**

**"Nee-chan!" Tsuki hit her head but the raven didn't mind. "Quit spacing out!" they just sang the happy birthday, cut the cake and ate but Rinko seemed down despite her favorite activity. She kept on staring at the empty playground at the distance ever since they arrived there.  
"I...I wanna go there..." she said ignoring the blow she got from the younger girl. She started to pace towards it like there's some kind of invisible force.  
"No! Nee-chan! It's dangerous!" Tsuki warned, grasping her wrist but Rink snatched it away and glared at her.  
"That place...I have to go there...I have to know what's in there..." she said.  
"No." Tsuki insisted. A dark red aura oozing from her. "Forget it. Stay with me." Rinko's eyes widened but she fell on her knees, frozen. "There, there. Obey. just obey. Forget them. Foget every-"  
"How could I forget?" Rinko asked with a trembling voice as she forced her body to move away from the girl and finally managed to stand up, though still wobbly. "That place...if I can remember correctly...that's where I first met Sayako-san when I was young."  
"So you can still move your body...such a stubborn human..." the girl said. Rinko took her pistol underneath her clothes and aimed it at the toher girl with determined azure orbs. "You're gonna shoot me? Can you really do that? Nee-chan...?"  
"Tamare!" she growled at her. Abrutly, a bluish silver aura covered her as the ground trembled. Their surroundings, the sky and everything else, cracked like mirrors. "I won't forget. I'll never forget..."  
A gunfire.  
"OMAE!" the girl shrieked after being pushed down on the ground, her right shoulder bleeding. "Even though I possess the a\face of your sister...how could you!? And what are you doing!?" panicking, she glanced around her, wide eyed and horrified. "You...you can't be breaking the spell...can you...?"  
"I don't know what you're talking about but all I care is Sayako-san. So now, bring her out." her eyes changed color. From the royal blue shade to silver one, glowing fearsomely.  
"I don't know but you're under a spell. Once this world shattered it's either you'll break it alone or with yourself." said the shapeshifter.  
"Then I have no use for you anymore." she pulled the trigger again. This time blood trickled down from the girl's forehead. "Sayonara."**

She snapped her eyes open and sat up, her body barely feeling anything. She stood up, wiping the cold beads of sweat that formed on her forehead and temples. "Sayako-san!" she called again but there was no response. When she took a step forward, heavy chains bind her to the darkness. But they dissolved as she regained struggled hard. She looked around her. She's still in the violet cloud. _I knew it. Those were illusions. _She scanned the darkness, trying to spot the russet-haired girl. There, in one corner, Sayako lies unconscious. Rinko strolled towards her and patted her cheek.  
"Nnnn...Okaa-sama..." Sayako muttered, squeezing her eyes tightly.  
"Sayako-san, whoever person that's in there, ignore her!" the raven instructed, her voice echoed as she shook the other girl. Sayako's expression softened and she became calm again. But she didn't wake up. "Damn it! What if she doesn't wake up?" She bit her lip and because of the numbness she still feels, she didn't notice the pain until the blood dropped to the vampire's face.  
Seeing it, she smiled. She looked around, and smirked when she found the sword of the vampire, unsheathed. She grabbed it and closing her eyes, she grazed her palm against the blade and endure the pain. Then she positioned it above the vampire's lips and let the blood drop.

**A gust of wind came and blew the grasses away. She feels numb. Both in mind and body. There's no pain. Nothing. Like she has already died. Thoughts were swriling inside her mind. What happened? Was that an illusion? A dream? Or was everything she was fighting for the unreal thing? Where are her comapanions? What happened to them? Did she lose? Did she really die? If she did, then are others still alive? If not, is it because of her? Becuase she's weak? She cursed in her mind. She was being protected again like before. The only diffrence now is that her protectors must have failed.  
But suddenly, a familiar scent tickled her senses and she slowly opened her eyes just after closing it and being able to sleep for a while. "Rin...ko?" she muttered and sat up. _The scent of Rinko's blood! What happened!? _She frowned when she saw everything in the plain color of gray. "Okaa-sama!?" she stood up, looking around. "Okaa-sama!"  
"I can't believe you still woke up from that." Sayako turned around and saw Yukio. "You should have just surrendered and died."  
"You..." Sayako glared at them. "You're not Okaa-sama."  
"I do not want to fight you but you drove me to my limit. Begone!" said Yukio and she dashed towards her, sharp nails raised like daggers before their eyes. They attacked but all Sayako did was to dodge.  
"Okaa-sama..." she mutterred.  
"What's wrong, eh!?" the woman exclaimed, darting towards her. "Can't fight!?"  
Blood spluterred on the ground as Yukio pierced her gut. "Pathetic." the woman said, chuckling.  
"I'm sorry," Sayako muttered and summoned a high voltage current around her boby. Wide-eyed, the woman tried to pull her hand back but Sayako grabbed her shoulder. And at that instant, she reduced to ashes after being toasted by the current from the otrher girl's body. She smirked. "but you don't resemble my mother that much."**

Sayako coughed and sat up as if someone choked her. Then she saw the raven-haired girl sitting beside her, worry carved on her features. She shook her head. It's really painful like someone banged it agaisnt a wall. Then she noticed her lips are wet. And she wiped. Only to be shocked to see that it's blood. Her eyes turned red as she stared at it. No doubt it belongs to only one person.  
"Rinko?" she called.  
"Yes?" she answered. "Are you alright now? If you are, then let's go. They're waiting for us."  
"Baka aho..." she whispered and the raven looked at her. A shiver run down her spine. Red eyes gazed at her in the darkness. "Do you kow what could happen with this?" Sayako wiped her lips clean, as if disgusted by it and stood up. "What if I attcked you?"  
"...I k-know that you won't." she stammerred and mimicked her action.  
"You don't know how your blood smells like." she said, grabbing her hand.  
"S-Sayako-san...!?" Sayako raised Rinko's hand close to her lips. Instinctively, the raven tried to pull away, seeing as though she was about to bite her when she parted her lips. But instead, the vampire lord whispered something and the wound gradually healed.  
"There." she said and let her go. Amazed, Rinko examined her hand, wiping the blood off.  
"H-how did did you -?"  
"It's a healing spell that only a vampire lord can use. It would be a problem if we'll get out of here when you're like that. Agnes and her companion, Rui and I would be able to control ourselves but I doubt Rina and Sylvon. They just reached their hundredth year. I can't guarantee your safety with them around." she looked back at her, glaring. "That's why never do that again." then her eyes retuned to normal. "Anyway, let's get out of here." she mutterred something again and this time, the cloud dispersed, clearing the space. Rui and the others were across. They looked at them and without a second of delay, they dashed to where they're standing and reunited.

[game ~ first moves]


	22. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"H-Harume-san...w-why are you...?" Lawrence wondered, whispering to her then looked at Rui.  
"May I know why the two of you are here despite what we said?" he began, still smiling his sarcastic smile. Now Lawrence knew why the raven hid. " Saa?" shivers ran down her spine as he summoned a flame to his hand, making it look like a torch.  
"Impressive regeneration." the redhead clapped his hands with a blank face.  
"Eh? Really?" Rui smiled wider. "Thanks. But that didn't answer the question...hm, Rinko?"  
"E-err…You know…aniki…" Rinko muttered. "I was really worried about Sayako-san so I…I really wanted to come too! It's not my fault!"  
"You two…tsk..." she took three steps backward, dragging Lawrence with her since he's the shield. "I guess it can't be helped." He sighed.  
"Eh? You mean you're letting us go with you?" she asked in surprise.  
"Yeah." He said. "I'll call Fuyumi and Akira. If anything happens, you'll leave us and go with them."  
"Alright. Issues are fixed." the redhead said then glared at him. "We'll go with you but you're not allowed to touch Harume-san."  
"Lawrence!"  
"It can't be helped." said the redhead. "That's the reason why I agreed to go back."  
"Fine. Then Let us go." Rui said and led them to the room where the secret passage was located.

The whole chamber was silent and only their heaving breathing was being heard. Both of them are soaked in their own sweat, obviously tired. But despite that, the girl quickly recovered and dashed at him. And once again, they engaged in a battle - punching, kicking, blocking, and counterattacking. The boy leapt away, distancing himself from the girl who was about to throw his balance off. He smirked and wiped the blood that trickled down his chin. The girl smirked back, seeing her opponent weakening bit by bit gave her a litttle confidence in her skills. But the guy resumed attacking her a second later, uncaring if she was still tired as she pants.  
"I never thought you'll be a tough enemy, Khana," said the blond.  
"Shut up, Zen." she said. "I know you're far from getting serious."  
"Hmmph," he snorted. "So, you've noticed."  
"Of course." - kick -  
"Sorry." - block - "I know I'm being rude."  
Khana gave him a series of punches and kicks which he gracefully blocked and later countered. However, they parted again, both panting heavily. "You were seriously hard to catch when you came here. But I wonder...why didn't you resist when I led you here?" he asked between pants.  
"I don't have the reason to." she replied in the same tired way he spoke. "You're my goal here...this is the easiest way to get to you..." she coughed and spit some blood on the floor.  
"Oi! Don't get the floor even dirtier!" Zen said.  
"And you've got a nerve to be bothered by the cleanliness of you're surroundings?" she said and chuckled.  
"Of course." he smirked. "Because after I've beat you up...Vince will order me to clean." and they both glanced around the room which was thoroughly destroyed and beyond repair. Some dust particles are even falling from the ceiling as it crumbles bit by bit. "It's hopeless...just a little bit more and this place will be destroyed..."  
"That's why...I should finish you up already..." Khana muttered and again, they resumed their fight. "Zen...I just want to ask you something..."  
"What is it?" - punch -  
"Why did you betray Sayako-sama?" she whispered as she dodged his attack and countered with an axe kick. He caught her foot but she stood upside-down with her hands as her feet and kicked him in the chest with his free one. At that, Zen lost his grip on her and was pushed away from her because of her attack's force. He spurted blood when he hit the wall, causing it even more damage. "Why?"  
"'Why' you ask?" he chuckled as he dropped on the floor. "You'll all know...soon enough..."  
"I really can't imagine...among all of us...you're the one who'll betray her..."  
He stood up and glared at her. "Stop it!" he exclaimed. "I didn't fucking betray her!"  
"Then why are you doing this!" she shouted back, her eyes becoming red.  
"You..." he muttered and narrowed his eyes as they became the same color as hers. "You don't have to know..."  
"What!"  
"Because you're about to die...anyway..." at that, Khana growled. But before she could even attack him, numbness stole her senses and she collapsed on the floor.  
"Why don't you just asked the angels what we're planning once you arrived in heaven? Or maybe the demons if you fit in hell more?"  
"B-bastard!" she insulted. "You poisoned me!"  
"It's only natural." he said. "It's my ability after all."  
"What the hell are you planning!" she growled. Only her sense of sight and hearing weren't taken away. So at least, she can still glare at him and hear his will-be answer.  
"Shut up. As if I'll tell you." he said and he began to leave.  
"Wait!" Khana exclaimed. Zen sighed and took a last look at her.  
"What?"  
"It's not like..." she smirked. "I want to die alone."  
"Wha-!" he wasn't able to finish when the whole room slowly turned to stone - Khana's ability. Later, a loud crashing sound was heard in the whole underground building.

"Agnes," Sayako whispered. "Maybe we should separate and explore individually."  
"No." the German refused. "I'll let us do that earlier but since we're here already, I can't just leave you like that."  
"You're acting like an overprotective grandfather." she chuckled.  
"Overprotective?" Agnes arched a brow. "You think I'm protecting you?"  
"Why? Are you not?" she questioned back.  
"Well...I am." the German replied. "You're his child after all."  
"His? You mean otoo-sama?" she asked.  
"Yeah. You see, he's an important person to me." she paused. Then continued, "Did you know that I really hated Yukio before?"  
"Eh? Okaa-sama? No." she shook her head.  
"Your father is the worst womanizer I've met." she started to narrate. "And I'm just one of his women."  
"He didn't tell me that." Sayako said blankly as she inwardly sighed. _Otoo-sama...  
_"But he treats your mother differently." she resumed. "I was really jealous that time that I always tried to ruin their relationship." she humorlessly laughed. "But when she died, I felt so bad and I didn't know why." she frowned, creases that were invisible appeared on her smooth face. "She never showed much care to Cross. And she always smile at me while sipping her tea whenever I tell her that I'll get Cross back. I never realized that she has touched me already. Then, Cross' death came. That time, I really broke down." she halted pacing then looked at Sayako. The vampire lord also stopped and returned her gaze. "He completely took my hope just like that."  
"By the way," Sayako said. "Otoo-sama did not die. He was _killed._"  
Agnes laughed. "Yeah." she said. "Did you know that I also hated you?"  
"Kinda." she replied. "I've read your mind before."  
"So...did you ever wonder why I didn't even try to kill you?" she asked. Sayako shook her head again. "I vowed to your father that I'll live my life protecting you on his behalf." the younger girl's eyes slightly widened. "I hated you because you are Yukio's child. And that you look very much like her. But you are also Cross'. You're the last thing he has left in the living world. You're one of the people that I'm sure he'll live and die for."  
"Why are you saying this now?" Sayako asked and continued pacing.  
"...Nothing." Sayako stopped again and looked back, then tried to read her mind._ I...I intend to kill Vince. I don't care if it means I'll die along with him. Because I really don't understand him...he has this unrequited love of his to Yukio...and yet..._"Enough of this. Let us hurry." Sayako didn't ask another question. Her only goal is to save Maria. So if Agnes wants to settle things with his uncle, she knows she shouldn't get herself involved. Adults have their own way of talking things over. Even if it's in a fight.

The three of them strode with only their echoing footsteps to break the silence. The light from the bulbs hanging at the low ceiling flickered like flame. The atmosphere around them was quite tense, considering how Rui and Lawrence deal with each other but they kept unperturbed, nearly ticking the curiosity of the girl. Why are they so silent? Is it this how professionals separate personal issues from work? Or they're just uncomfortable to talk at all? Rinko wanted to keep her thoughts quiet but her mind went back to Sayako and she couldn't help herself from asking. "W-where are we going, aniki?" she clamped her hand over her mouth as soon as she realized she spoke it aloud.  
"Looking for Akishi-dono."  
"E-eh!" she halted. "Then...if that's so...shouldn't it be better if we'll separate? It'll be faster that way!"  
"And get you into trouble?" Rui was just about to say the same thing. "No way. We better spend the whole day lost in this place than that."  
"But she's our priority! We must -"  
"Rinko..." Rui halted. He turned back, facing her, and placed his large hand on her head. She looked up at him, slightly flushed, as he ruffled her dark locks. "Of course Akishi-dono is our top priority but you're the one we're currently with. Your safety is also important."  
"Yeah. Besides, that girl is the vampire lord. With that much power, she can't be killed easily." and the other two glared at the damphyr who decided to resume walking, irked with their delay.  
"Hey, be careful," Rui warned as he and the other raven let the redhead lead the way. "This is also the location for the elder council's meetings so there are some places here that have hidden traps for security purposes."  
"I doubt there would be." Lawrence answered. "We entered through the main door, didn't we?"  
Rui chuckled. He was simply trying to ridicule him but the dampyr effectively brushed it off.  
"Elder council?" she asked after a few seconds.  
"A group of _millennium-aged_ 'adults' who were tasked to protect the vampire society." he explained. "They create laws to be approved by the 'lord' - who is, despite not being a member of the circle - is the highest authority. They are also the ones who insisted to draw humans toward extinction." Rinko shuddered as Rui observantly eyed her before continuing. "But the presiding lords all declined. They all said: 'Food should be kept. If some will be a threat, then I shall just turn them to vampires themselves'." he paused. _She's sensitive to this_. But the raven urged him to continue. "It was only Cross-tono, Akishi-dono's father, who disapproved with a different reason. He wanted the two races to live together in the world. He was a pacifist after all."  
"And...Sayako-san?" she asked, hesitantly.  
"The reason why his very own uncle is against her is because she also declined." Rui frowned. He knows that everything that will come next won't sound pleasing to her. _But...in order to know if her decision were right, she needs to know. She has the right to. _"And her reason was the most different of all. These were her exact words: 'don't kill humans when you _feed'. _And 'don't hesitate to kill those who will harm you. I won't waste my time turning unworthy slayers'."  
"Unworthy...eh?" she bit her lip.  
"To be turned to a vampire is like to become a slave." He furrowed. "Because usually, when a human became a vampire, he also became his creator's servant. He'll be blindly devoted to him."  
"Then you -!"  
"I'm different." he said, his eyes squinting when he smiled at her. "I can still piss her off, can't I? So that means, I am a 'servant'. But not yet a 'doll'. Same goes for her mother."  
"Mother?" Lawrence repeated, suddenly getting interested after his silence.  
"Yeah." Rui affirmed. "Cross-tono turned her."  
"So...she and her father are very skilled in turning humans, huh?" the redhead said with obvious sarcasm. "Is it their hobby?"  
"No." the ex-human smiled in perfect innocence, totally unaffected by the other guy's intended insult. "That's impossible since Yukio-dono is the only one turned by Cross-tono. And I too am the only one worthy in Akishi-dono's eyes."  
"How arrogant of you." Lawrence said, planning to close the conversation.  
"Same to you, damphy-kun." Rui talked back.  
"Would you shut it?" Rinko snapped. The veins on the both sides of her temples very visibly throbbing. "It's not very amusing." The guys were immediately forced to stop. She sighed. "There. Better."

_"Agnes, let's separate here." Sayako said, halting at the crossroad they came upon._  
_"Won't you talk to him?"_  
_"I have to find Maria first." the lord chuckled. "Besides, in the two of us, you're the one who's itching to do that, no?"  
The German smiled.__ "__You just don't want to fight him. Too soft, Yako." Agnes smirked.  
Sayako glared at her.__ "Then, I'm going." the lord turned her back on the other. "I'll follow after making sure she gets out of here safely."_  
_"Hn. Be fast or you won't catch anything worth watching." and the last thing she heard from the younger was her laugh.  
_Sayako shook her head. _It's not the time to be worrying about Agnes._ She must look for Maria. And Khana too, since she went before them. Biting her lip, she resumed walking. Checking every rooms, and not finding any movement in each time. She sighed. It would be hard to do it like this.  
"She can't be far, right?" she whispered to herself then closed her eyes. There was no single noise at that moment when she listened to every thought of every mind around her.  
_Where are the intruders! Hurry! We must drive them away at all costs!  
_"No. That's the servants above." irritated, she contracted her power's radius.  
_Why? Why didn't he kill me? _Sayako's eyes snapped open at the familiar voice of the thought. "Khana?" closing her eyes for the second time, she concentrated on the girl's thoughts. _Why did he bring me here? With Maria? What is he planning? What are _they _planning? _Sayako reopened her eyes and bolted forward in her inhuman speed. "Khana! Where are you!"  
"Sayako-sama!" came a reply and from that, she knew where she is. She turned left. Then right at the next corner and saw a staggering Khana who carries Maria in her arms.  
The lord's eyes widened at what greeted her eyes. "Khana..." she took a step forward and instinctively hugged the other girl. "I'm glad you're safe."  
"I woke up to a room with her by my side," said the other, gesturing to the damphyr. "I was in a battle with Zen. I was defeated...I have no idea why he didn't kill me."  
"That doesn't matter now," she said. "I'll settle it with them."

"I'm serious this time, damphyr," Rui said with an irritated tone. It was new to Rinko since he never got irritated before. "I'll lead the way. Who knows where the traps are?"  
"The elders won't set things that would turn back on them, would they?" he assumed.  
"They wouldn't by the entrance but they'd definitely would set them here inside to protect important chambers," Rui explained, holding his head heavy in his palm. "What if something shoots out then-" - iron bars fell from the ceiling, locking him and Lawrence in.  
"Aniki! Lawrence!" Rinko spun around in surprise and tried to find something to open help them out but the bricks on the both walls moved to reveal guns.  
"Shit!" Lawrence ducked down while Rui used his flame to melt the bullets down when they fired.  
The gunfire halted. "It's fine," Rui smiled at Rinko. "We're fine."  
"That scared me," the girl said, returning his smile, though with a frown.  
"I'll open the bars bars apart so - ack!" he groaned and fell on his knees.  
"Hey, are you dying?" Lawrence came over to him for help but he shooed him away.  
"I was just shot," he said. "This is nothing." he plucked the bullet out from his thigh.  
"Harume-san, you go ahead first," the redhead said.  
"But-!"  
"Rinko...listen..." Rui grumbled. "As much as I don't want you to go by yourself, but you're beginning to smell appetizing to me...so please...We'll follow...I just have to calm down first." he looked at Lawrence who was staring at him intently. He knows he won't hesitate to kill him if he'll attack the girl. "Right?" the slayer nodded.  
"Here, Harume-san," Lawrence stood and gave her his spare pistol.  
"I have mine," the girl said, motioning to her thighs, both with a holster holding a gun.  
"In case you ran out of ammo," the redhead insisted.  
The raven chuckled. "Thanks." and she went ahead after a glance at Rui.

_I wonder if Sayako-san is close by, _Rinko thought as she walked along the dimly-lit hall. She already took quite a few turns and still can't find the woman. She really wants to see her now. Recently, she's been associating her with someone in her past since her first days in the university. She can't simply conclude things on her own so she really want to ask Sayako right away. But things between them went bad on her second day so she just couldn't muster the courage to talk to her. Or at least the logic. She deemed it impossible for the woman to have met her before when she was still young but now that she knows she isn't a human, there's a huge possibility. Possibility that she could trust vampires because she wasn't attacked back then. And that possibility was the only thing that made her throw away her title as a slayer and even try to defend Sayako. But before anything could happen, that 'bad' became 'worse'. And now, she doesn't have the time to turn it to, at least, 'fairly good'.  
"Sayako-san..." she muttered then sighed a long sigh.

"What are you thinking now?" Lawrence muttered, eyes and gun fixed on the vampire across him.  
"I'm thinking of calming down so give me the favor to keep quiet." he answered, his breathing going back to normal. He started panting when they were convincing Rinko to go. Her blood always had a different scent from all the others' but he never thought he'd think of biting her like he just did. His diet was certainly not well in the centuries he and Sayako were apart. The vampire lord let him bite her but only one time. His thirst for her is greater than anyone else'. Probably because of his emotions for her that he hid for a long time.  
_"Yako-neechan, you haven't eaten anything in three days," _he remembered their past. It was after her mother, Yukio, died under the sun in the feit to protect her from a slayer. Cross became strict with everything after that, as if scared to lose anything more especially his daughter.  
_"Leave. I don't want to eat," came the answer from the room behind the door he just knocked upon.  
Impatiently, Rui kicked the door and forcefully went inside. The room was lit only by a pair of crimson orbs that belong to the lady sitting straight on the bed. "I told you to leave...or...are you offering yourself instead?"  
"I'm not," the man answered. "And that thirsty act won't scare me away either," he neared her and left a tray of food on the bedside table. "I won't leave until you finish this up."  
"You'll just waste your time," Sayako said, unblinking. Only staring at him with bloodshot eyes.  
"My eyes aren't as good as yours so all I can see are your silhouette and your eyes but," he paused, sat down, and blindly crept a hand to her until he reached her knee and rested it there. "I know you're crying."  
He heard a sniff and after that, felt her place a hand over his.  
"You can cry on my shoulder, Yako-neechan," he moved and sat beside her then held her face in his hands. He's right. She's crying. But she brushed him off.  
"Stop calling me that," she said as she wiped her tears. "You're not a boy anymore."  
"Then what should I call you?" he asked with a soft chuckle.  
"Anything is fine," she replied, sniffling. "Just don't make me sound like an old hag."  
"Then...'Akishi-dono'?" he tried and she squeezed his hand.  
"You'd sound like a servant," she laughed. Rui secretly smiled at that.  
"It's alright," he said. "I do plan to serve you until I grow old...until I draw my last breath away."  
"Idiot," she grumbled, pinching his hand.  
_"Waiting for your kill?" he asked, standing up.  
"Not really," Lawrence said, keeping his gun.  
"You know...even if I did get wild," Rui said, running his hand through his hair. "I won't let you kill me...there's only one person who I'll surrender to."  
"I know," Lawrence said and went to the bars. He gripped two of them and moved them apart. "Here. Favor for melting the bullets down."  
"Thanks," he smiled and slipped out with the damphyr.

_"This will lead outside of the mansion," Sayako said, refering to the metal ladder leading up to the ceiling where a sqare metal covering is. "You can wretch that off if you can't remove the lock."  
"Yes, Sayako-sama," Khana said. Maria hasn't woken up yet. They were getting worried so even though Khana wanted to stay by Sayako, she can't because she had to bring the girl to Yuuji, the vampire lord's personal doctor. "Be careful."  
"I always am," she replied and turned around then started looking for Vince.  
_"He should be here, in the meeting chamber," she talked to herself. The said room is the biggest room in the underground place. Vince would have the advantage if he'd fight her in there. That is, if he is really thinking of fighting her. She took a deep breath and opened the double doors towards the chamber and entered. Every light was lit but the chairs of the round table in the middle were empty. She scowled and turned back, thinking he wasn't there. Until she heard someone snicker.  
"Backing off already?" she spun around and saw Vince come out of the shadows. "I thought you'd put up a fight first...or you chickened out?"  
"Chickened out?" Sayako looked at him with a mocking smile. "You must be kidding." she unsheathed her sword, throwing off the scabbard and charged at him. Unfortunately, he dodged and stepped away.  
"Still have your boiling point low, eh?" he smirked.  
"Why did you kidnap Maria?" Sayako asked in a low voice, putting her sword down as she looks down as well, her hair casting shadows over her eyes. "Are you really thinking of killing me?"  
"Thinking? Are you kidding me? I was always itching kill you!" he exclaimed, making her impulsively look up. But she looked down again, as if avoiding his heated gaze and the anger in it.  
"Because I couldn't kill humans and avenge my parents' death?" she muttered. "I'm incompetent, I know. But I couldn't do it because...okaa-sama was a human before. I thought that there were other humans like her who only want to live in peace and meant no harm to us or-"  
"I don't care about your incomptence. And about their death...they deserved that..." Sayako's eyes widened at his words. "I want to kill you because you're the fruit of their traitorous love. I want to kill you the same way I killed them but I couldn't find the chance to control that girl so I'll do it myself. Besides, I think it's more satisfying that way - hearing your cries while-"  
"Did you just say...you killed them?" she looked up, meeting him eye-to-eye, though there were no emotions in them...like she have lost her soul. "Didn't you love okaa-sama? You also respect otoo-sama so much. And they were killed by slayers...how would you have anything to do with their murder? You weren't even at home that time!"  
"Slayers got in because of me. I wasn't there because I was controling them like puppets," he laughed. "Your father's dying face while looking at the slayer girl she came to like was funny...I almost burst out laughing from the roof!"  
"But I read your mind before and it didn't say anything like that!" she shouted, silent tears trailing down her cheeks. "Stop lying and just get str-"  
"Yako, don't listen to him!" Sayako immediately turned to the source of the from a corner behind Vince. Agnes ran towards her, looking like there's something urgent she wants to say but Zen caught her and injected her something, causing her to faint, unconsciencous.  
"Take your hands off her, bastard!" Sayako demanded but Zen ignored her and dragged the German in the room they both came from. She advanced to take Agnes by force but Vince hit her and throw her at a wall.  
"V-Vince...stop this...sick joke..._now_," she hissed as she stands back up, wiping her blood off her chin. "I don't want to hurt you..."  
"But I want to crush you like hell," he strode towards her and grabbed her by her neck then held her up, off the floor. "The feeling of crushing every inch of you would definitely pay off for the centuries I hold myself back...I'll start here..." he tightened his grip making her gasp and choke more. Sayako was struggling and trying to break free when footsteps were heard louder and louder until it came to a halt and turned to a gasp and-  
"Sayako-san!" Rinko took the pistols at her thighs and fired at Vince until she emptied their chambers causing him to drop the vampire lord like a doll. She wanted to fire more to calm the rage she felt at seeing the woman being stanggled but her concern flooded her very veins and she went to Sayako's side. "A-are you alright? He didn't do anything more than that did he? Come, I'll help you stand up-"  
"I don't need your help!" Sayako shouted, glaring at her with red eyes.  
"Sorry...I know I shouldn't be here but-"  
"If anything bad happen to you I'll-" at that instant, she was cut off as a bloody reached out behind the raven she dragged her by her hair, making her shriek in horror and surprise. "Rinko!" Sayako stood up to get her back but before she could, Rinko took Lawrence's spare gun and shoot Vince, who fell on the floor and reduced to ashes. The raven were to fall too if Sayako hadn't caught her. "Stupid! You didn't shoot him in the head!"  
"I didn't...want to kill any more vampire," she said faintly. "So you'd accept me...besides, I ain't a slayer anymore..."  
"Still..." the brunette whispered, clasping the girl closer to her. "There are times you should...for your own safety..."  
"He bit me quite deep..."Rinko chuckled, touching the bite wounds lightly. "Is my blood really that tasty?"  
"Shut up. Don't talk anymore. I'll get you out of here," she said and stood up, carrying her. She thought of Agnes but the wounds wouldn't stop bleeding so headed towards the door to leave but she saw Rui meters away from her right.  
"What happened...?" Rui asked, wide eyed and petrified.  
"Vince bit her..." she answered so quiet that Rui barely heard her. "Why do I always bring pain to others?" she whispered and looked at him.  
"Don't say that...you can still save her..." he said and ran to her and took the girl, who just fainted, in his arms.

[Checkmate]


	23. Epilogue

Epilogue

"What!" she thundered, bursting out of her mansion's door as she wears her furred coat.  
"We're really sorry!" the servants said, bowing at her in apology. "She was so fast we couldn't catch her!"  
"Yeah," she muttered. "I'd look for her...I think I know where she went." and get got inside her car and started the engine then left._  
"There's no other way, Yako," said, as he lets go of Rinko's wrist. "She barely have a pulse."  
"But we couldn't let her die!" Sayako stood up, slamming her palms on the table.  
"Yeah...that's why you must bite her..." Rui said, his hands covering his face. "Do it and she might live."  
"You think that would save her?" she said, trembling in anger. "Even if she does survive the bite, she won't be the same."  
"Just give it a try!" Rui shouted, glaring at her. For the lifetime that she knows him, this is the first time she saw him like that. "Who knows...maybe if you still have your demon luck, she'll become...like me and Yukio-dono."  
_Thinking things right now, everything went well.  
_"It's been two days," Akira said, worried. He and Fuyumi came over to Sayako's manor where they keep Rinko sleeping after the vampire lord has bitten her. "Is she going to be alright?"  
"Stop it," Fuyumi said, putting two packs of salmon sashimi on the table and uncovering one. "She won't last two days if it didn't succeed."  
"Whether it's successful or not," Sayako grumbled. "Don't think she'll be the same." And she stood up to go back to her room but halted, seeing the raven standing at the stairs, blankly staring at them.  
"Fuyumi, Akira…you should go now," Rui said, leading them to the front door. But before they left, Rinko bolted in their direction, causing everyone – except Sayako - to panic.  
"Don't move a muscle," Sayako ordered the raven at the moment she landed a foot before the center table. "Go back to your room."  
_She was thinking at that time that Rinko would obey without any argument because she has _changed_ but to her - and everybody's – surprise-  
_"What? There's salmon right before my eyes and you think you can just order me around, obaa-san?" and she started gobbling the fish up, completely ignoring the people, who were in state of shock, around her.  
_"The hell…" Sayako cursed. She was reminiscing what happened a month ago. She never thought Rinko would remain the same. Heck, she's even worse now, running around like a street cat in that newly-granted speed. She thought she'd take full responsibility for her. That she'd use her new 'doll' instinct to control her and prevent her from going wild but, as Fuyumi said, the raven's gluttony is much greater than her thirst  
- if she had ever really felt it – so now, it's like she was just raised from the dead. Like what Sayako did was just a Lazarus ritual. _And to think I was troubled in deciding whether to bite her or not, _she thought as she softly banged her head on the steering wheel. _Well, I did saw her eyes turn red when she first knew of her ability…maybe she's a new breed of vampire? Is that even possible?  
_Minutes later, she arrived at the cemetery and pulled a stop there then got off her car. She strolled on the cemented path and took a few turns until she saw the area where the girl's relatives were buried. She went there and found Rinko sleeping beside the gravestones of her family. A slight smile crept on her lips as she bent down and shook the other.  
"What are doing, sleeping here of all places?" she said as the raven sat up, yawning and rubbing her eyes. "It's winter, you know."  
"But I can't wait any longer," she said with a frown. "You told me the other day that we'll come here once it stops snowing but it's still snowing today so I already went here."  
"Whatever…" she grumbled. "Did you remember something?"  
"Nope," she shook her head softly. "It's still like before…all I can remember are my parents and sister…I can't feel any ties towards the others…"  
"Is that so…why were so persistent, anyway?" she said as she helped the other stand up. Then they made their way towards her car and they left the place. "If you were just verifying your memories, even if it's snowing all winter, we can come in spring."  
"I couldn't wait," the raven said. "I didn't visit them last November because of our mission in your university."  
"So you felt urgent to do it now?" she glanced at her and Rinko nodded. She chuckled. "It's cold…don't tell me you didn't feel that?"  
"I adjusted the temperature around me," she said with a wide smile. "Want me warm the air here too?" her eyes went crimson.  
"Sure…" she replied. "Just don't make me sweat." The temperature did rise up a bit like it was autumn again.  
"Hey…can I look for a job?" Rinko asked, hesitatingly. "It's boring…not having anything to do…I mean, I understand we've left 'the silvers' and I definitely don't want to go back there but I hate being unproductive."  
"You hate your current state now?" Sayako muttered and was by Rinko answered with a steadfast no. "How do you feel then?"  
"…I feel like…sorta happy…I can certainly protect you - and everyone else – now. Unlike before…" she said, suddenly remembering the incident when she got bitten by the brunette's uncle. "That was me being lousy and reckless…and weak…"  
"You don't have to do anything you know," Sayako said, trying to soothe the other. "Just _behave." _And she earned a throaty laughter._  
"_How about I help out in the kitchen tonight?" Rinko suggested. "Christmas eve is always busy. You have guests who'll come too, right?"  
"Yeah." she answered. "I also have to say some announcements."  
"Announcements?" the raven repeated.  
"Agnes and Zen went missing," she said. "I heard Zen has replaced Vince in the council. I want them found…especially Agnes…"

"I saw Zen and the woman called Agnes running as if to escape so I went after them," Lawrence said, explaining his report to Kevin. "But I got lost. I went to where they came from but only saw ashes and blood. I had them in the lab. The blood was confirmed to be Zero squad's hacker, Harume Rinko."  
"Based on that report, I believe the vampire lord has taken her, considering the disappearance of Rui, Fuyumi and Akira, who are her acquaintances," Kevin said, elbows on his table and his face in his palms. "I'm assigning you to a secret mission. Find her."  
"Yes sir," the redhead said and headed for the door. He twisted the knob and opened the it.  
"Lawrence…" Kevin said, standing up, facing him straight, worry written all over him. "Please…no matter what…no matter how long, find her…not only is she important to this organization…she's also important to me…"  
"Yes, I understand," he said and left, not forgetting to close the door.

[sunset ~ beginning of the ending]


End file.
